Bound in Brotherhood
by LovelyInspiration
Summary: Adam and Chase have been at each other's throats lately - sometimes literally. So, Davenport comes up with an idea to get the bionic brothers on good terms again. Unfortunately for Adam and Chase, that means being handcuffed together until they can get along.
1. Chapter 1

**Today's the day; my long promised multi-chapter is finally here! Needless to say, it took longer to finish than expected. I didn't give up, though - especially not when I told you I would publish it. As it turned out, that patience and persistence paid off, because I'm pretty happy with the product. Hopefully you will be, too. I'm very excited to once again be actively posting a story; I missed it.**

 **This story is very much so made to make you laugh, but I feel that I should tell you that not _every_ chapter is like that. Without revealing too much, I will say that things take on a more serious air in the latter chapters. It's nothing that horrifying; I wouldn't necessarily say it's bad enough for trigger warnings. If you were expecting a _completely_ humorous story, though, I felt like I should tell you that it isn't like that for the entire time.**

 **On a quick side note, I am finally able to create custom thumbnails - yay! I'm really happy with the work I did on the one for this story. How do you guys like it? You could say I took some _inspiration_ (hah, puns) from Asori's thumbnail for A Man of a Monster. That one's amazing - and so is the story.**

 **So, now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy Bound in Brotherhood!**

 **I do not own Lab Rats.**

* * *

"Mr. Davenport!" Bree angrily charged out of the elevator.

Donald was sitting at the kitchen island; the billionaire looked up from his tablet and sighed. It never went in his favor when Bree spoke in that tone.

"Yes, Princess?" Donald mocked sweetly. Bree only scowled.

"You have got to do something about Adam and Chase! They've been fighting nonstop for weeks, and it's getting on my last nerve!"

"Bree, they're brothers. It's only natural for them to fight like that."

"Not for weeks on end, it's not!" Bree retorted. "Because of their antics, my cell phone was plunged into a pudding cup! I was trying to give Caitlin misguided boyfriend advice!"

"Okay, Bree. Calm down," Donald said. The bionic girl took a deep breath and folded her arms. "Look, I know they can be annoying, but you just have to ignore them."

"Easy for you to say - You don't have to live in a basement with _Thing One and_ _Thing Two_! Adam and Chase's incessant arguing is getting out of hand. Don't you even care?"

"Not if it doesn't affect me," Donald replied. Bree glared even harder. The billionaire sighed again. "Fine! If they haven't hashed things out in the next two days, I'll lay down the law."

"You said the same thing to Tasha when Adam and Chase were on their ridiculous prank-spree. If you didn't follow through then, why should I believe you now?" Bree deadpanned.

Donald looked up thoughtfully. "You're right. I can't think of a single reason."

"Mr. Davenport!"

"Okay, fine!" Donald caved in exasperation. "I promise to talk with them after two days."

Bree still looked suspicious. Donald would have given anything just to make her leave him alone.

Finally, he consented to a rather expensive idea. "I'll buy you a new phone if you tolerate the boys for a couple more days."

Bree squinted, "A new phone, like, the ePhone 7s?"

"Sure."

" _With_ a new case?"

Donald sighed, "Fine."

"Okay, deal. Oh, but wait! I can't listen to music on my new phone without headphones. Hmm… what to do, what to do…"

"Bree, I just bought you new headphones."

"Yea. And now they're at the bottom of Adam's fish bowl," Bree said spitefully.

"What?!" Donald cocked an eyebrow.

"It all started when-"

"-No!" he interrupted. "I'll get you some new headphones. Just, please don't tell me what happened!"

" _Beats_ headphones?" Bree smirked.

" _Sure, why not?_ " Donald spoke through gritted teeth. His daughter smiled triumphantly.

"Deal. Pleasure doing business with you." With that, she strolled back into the elevator.

When she was out of earshot, Donald mumbled, "I just got a shakedown from my daughter." He solemnly shook his head, turning back to his tablet. "Well, I will say this - that girl has a future career as a lawyer."

* * *

Donald stared intently at his in-progress invention. He'd been hiding out in the lab for hours. Two days had passed, and Adam and Chase hadn't quite solved their differences like he'd hoped, and now he had to talk to them about it. One more complaint from Bree and he might just end up buying her that diamond convertible she wanted.

The problem was, he was too chicken to talk with the boys. Deep conversations were never his forte. So, he hoped by appearing to be busy in the lab all night, he'd get out of his promised parental duties. Up 'till this point, it was working. He wouldn't have to say a word to Adam and Chase so long as he threw himself into his work. He didn't mind, though; work was one of the things he loved most. And for him, work meant inventing.

Besides, he'd been working on this invention for months. Lots of painfully hard hours went into making it. He dreamed about creating this invention. Today, it actually looked like he would finish. If he did, it would be a huge scientific accomplishment. Donald's hands hovered over the helmet-like contraption, inches away from crossing the last two wires.

Just then, Donald heard the elevator ding. As the doors opened, brother bickering filtered into his quiet workspace. Donald sighed.

"Move!" Chase yelled from inside the elevator. His older brother stood in the exit holding the smaller, younger boy captive.

"Not until you agree to write my history report!" Adam yelled back.

"I told you, Adam. I'm not doing you any good by completing your homework," Chase replied, vainly attempting to squeeze past his brother. "Out of my way! I have studying to do."

Adam wouldn't budge. Chase tried everything. He jumped, crouched, and struggled to wiggle past Adam. He was unsuccessful with all escape efforts. Adam smirked, finding enjoyment in his brother's failed endeavors. Chase was getting more frustrated by the minute. He fought to keep Spike inside.

"You know, all you have to do is agree to write my paper. Then, you're free to go enjoy nerd time," Adam said.

Chase was done being tactful. He spoke in a dangerously low voice, "Not. Gonna. Happen. Now… Let me out."

Adam grew an unnerving grin. Chase gulped. _Maybe I shouldn't have said that…_

"Adam, Chase, knock it off. Both of you get in-"

"-AHH!"

Donald's eyes widened. The inventor quickly ducked behind the cyber desk as Chase came flying towards him. The youngest bionic glided across the desk and fell onto the floor with a crash.

"Oww…" he moaned.

When he felt the coast was clear, Donald peaked up from his hiding place. To his left, Adam was standing outside the elevator smiling. To his right, Chase was lying on the ground. Donald squinted, looking closely at his youngest son. It then hit him. As Chase flew across the desk, he took Donald's invention with him. Now surrounding the boy was broken pieces of Donald's device – the device that had taken him years to create.

"Nooooo!" Donald yelled theatrically, rushing to Chase's side.

"I'm fine, Mr. Davenport. Don't worry," Chase assured him.

"Not you! My invention! My invention - it's destroyed! I worked hundreds of hours on this!"

Chase finally sat up, holding his throbbing head. He looked around him and noticed the shattered glass and crushed metal. "Oh…"

Adam finally walked over. He peered down at the wreckage on the floor and cringed. "Oops. Sorry, Mr. Davenport. I hope that wasn't important."

Donald looked at Adam. The oldest boy flinched at his father's intimidating gaze. The billionaire raised himself to his feet.

"Adam…" he started calmly, "That was important!"

"What made that one so special?" Adam asked timidly.

Donald sighed in an attempt to calm himself. Speaking at a normal volume, he answered, "This was my neural retriever. It was a helmet that, when put on, would connect with your brain and recover forgotten memories."

" _This_ was your neural retriever? You've been working on it for years!" Chase said from the floor. "This device was going to change the field of neurology!"

"I know," Donald spoke through clenched teeth, shooting daggers at the two teens.

"Well, in my defense, _Adam_ was the one who threw _me_ onto the table, thus breaking the invention. So, like most everything else, this was _his_ fault," Chase spat accusingly.

"Oh, yea – real mature!" Adam spat back.

"It's not like you're much better! At least I don't need my _younger brother's help_ on a history report!"

"Enough!" Donald interrupted. "You two need to stop fighting; it's getting ridiculous. Because of your petty arguments, my invention is ruined. This is _both_ of your faults!"

The teens quieted, neither having a good or reasonable comeback. Donald saw that he made his point. "Now, clean up this mess."

Donald turned to Chase and helped him off the floor. The inventor then started to walk out. _Those boys never learn. Someone else always ends up paying for it. Bree's right; this is like the prank situation. Man, I remember what my dad used to do when Douglas and I were fighting. How would they like that, huh? I bet that would teach them to get along. Wait a sec…_

"That's it!" Donald exclaimed. Adam and Chase were surprised by his outburst. Both turned to Donald in confusion.

"What's it?" Adam asked.

"You've finally decided which of your warehouses to send Adam?" Chase hoped eagerly. His older brother glared at him.

Donald turned to face his kids. "No. I know how to get you two to get along."

"Unless you can make miracles happen, I don't see how," Adam replied. Chase nodded.

"Oh, just you wait and see… Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an old invention to dig up." With that, Donald rushed out of the lab.

Adam and Chase shared worried looks. They both feared what the inventor had in store for them.

* * *

"Please, Mr. Davenport!" Chase pleaded. "If you have even an ounce of humanity, you won't follow through with this!"

Donald rolled his eyes, continuing to fiddle with the high-tech metal bracelets in his hands. "Chase, it won't be that bad. Trust me; this worked wonders for Douglas and me."

"Up until six months ago, you two hated each other," Chase deadpanned.

"Okay, so, the technique worked wonders for a small fraction of time."

"Come on, Mr. Davenport! Handcuffing me to Adam would be like handcuffing me to a gorilla with explosives."

"And handcuffing me to Chase would be like handcuffing me to a short, weak, prison ward," Adam said.

Donald ignored them. Chase didn't give up that easily. He wouldn't get handcuffed to Adam without a fight (or at least a protest.)

Chase continued, "What about missions? What about school? What about when we sleep? I am _not_ sharing my capsule with Adam."

"Guys, don't worry; I thought about all that. I'll unlock the cuffs before bedtime and lock them back in the morning. So, you _won't_ have to share a capsule. As for school and missions, you guys will have to figure that out for yourselves," Donald explained.

"How?" Adam asked.

"By doing something called 'working together.' I know that's been a foreign concept for you two the past few weeks, but it means that you help each other instead of fight."

"Do I still get to toss Chase around?"

"No. That's the opposite of helping him."

"Then, I don't see the appeal."

Donald closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What's the point of locking us together, anyway?" Chase wondered.

"You'll be forced to spend time with each other and go about your day together. You'll walk a mile in each other's shoes, as it were. This way, you two will build understanding of each other. Now, it will take some effort on your parts, but I have confidence in you guys," Donald said encouragingly. "Although I don't know why…"

"You do realize I could just use my heat vision to break the chain, right?" Adam spoke. "Or even my super strength."

"That's why I designed these high-tech handcuffs. They're insusceptible to your bionics. Although the cuffs still allow you to use your bionics, you can't use them on the handcuffs themselves."

"You just thought of everything, didn't you?"

"Yea. I'm brilliant…" Donald grinned to himself.

The teens rolled their eyes. The inventor went back to adjusting settings on the handcuffs.

"Ugh, I'd rather be chained to a dog…" Chase complained. "At least it'd be smarter."

"Well, I'd rather be chained to a baby," Adam snapped. "At least it would be stronger."

"There wasn't a more perfect time to do this…" Donald mumbled. Finally, he finished configuring the cuffs. "Alright, looks like we're good to go."

With Adam on the left and Chase on the right, Donald approached them with the handcuffs. Chase's stomach churned as Donald snapped the metal "life-enders" on his and Adam's wrists. Once they heard the click, it was official. The boys were done for.

Adam tentatively lifted his right hand with a grimace. In sync, Chase's left hand tugged upward. The chain between the silver bracelets was short. They basically had to share a hand. The so-called "high-tech" handcuffs didn't look much different than normal ones. Davenport did that on purpose; otherwise, the cuffs would draw too much attention.

"How long do we have to stay like this?" Chase inquired with disgust.

"As long as it takes for the two of you to get along," Donald smiled. "Well, have fun!"

The billionaire made his exit from the lab.

"Great. I'm gonna get married still handcuffed to you…" Chase said despondently.

"Don't be ridiculous, Chase. No girl would marry you," Adam chuckled. The younger boy glared at him. This was going to be the longest experience of their lives…


	2. Chapter 2

Adam and Chase, not knowing what to do with themselves, decided to go up to the living room. Tasha was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and when the elevator doors opened, she quickly glanced at them.

"Perfect timing, boys. Would you set the table? Dinner is almost ready," Tasha said, her eyes returning to the chopped vegetables.

Adam and Chase looked at each other skeptically. The handcuffs rattled as they threw their hands up in defeat. Both knew there was no way possible they could set the table without incident.

"Uh, Tasha," Chase spoke up, "Could Bree and Leo do that tonight?"

"No; they did it last night."

"But-" Adam started.

"-I don't want to hear it," Tasha firmly interrupted, "We have a schedule. Now set the table!"

Adam and Chase sighed. Begrudgingly, they walked into the kitchen to retrieve dinnerware. Both boys reached up to open the cabinet door – each determined to get to it before the other. Clumsily, they fumbled around, both trying to get the upper hand on the knob.

Finally, Chase slapped Adam's hand away. "Why don't you just let me do this?"

"Because I don't take orders from children!" Adam spat back.

"Guys," Tasha spoke while she washed off a tomato, "Less bickering and more working."

Adam and Chase glared at each other in silence. Returning to the task, the boys recommenced their hand-slap fight over the opening of cabinet. Whenever Chase got a good grip, Adam knocked his hand away, and whenever Adam got a good grip, Chase knocked his hand away. Their predicament was tedious; they wouldn't have had to open the cabinet door together if not for their jailed wrists. When one boy lifted his arm, the other boy's arm raised in unison.

Despite this knowledge, Adam and Chase wouldn't work together. In their minds, working together was tantamount to admitting that they needed help. Unless they were on a mission, there was no such animal. It was a matter of pride. But, by some miracle, the brothers successfully opened the cabinet, albeit in an unreasonably long amount of time. There on the first shelf rested many pristine white, ceramic dinner plates.

Once again, both bionic teens reached out for the delicate plates.

"Move your hand!"

"No, you move your hand!"

"Let go!"

"Stop it!"

"Be careful!"

Tasha sighed. "Boys, I told you to-"

A loud shattering sound cut Tasha's sentence short. She turned around in time to see her favorite plates in shards on the kitchen floor. Two pairs of feet stood in the midst of the mess. Tasha looked up and saw Adam and Chase staring in shock at the broken ceramic dishes. They could feel their step-mom's hard glare on them, and the brothers cautiously looked up at her.

"What happened?!" Tasha demanded.

"It's Chase's fault! He's too short to reach the plates and could barely see what he was doing. So when I was taking the plates out, he tried to get them from me but dropped them!" Adam exclaimed.

"Not true!" Chase defended. " _I_ was doing perfectly fine grabbing the dishes. But then came Adam with his monster hands to knock them out of my grip!"

"Why did you have to get the plates at the same time?" Tasha asked.

Adam and Chase looked at her confusedly. They lifted their handcuffed wrists so Tasha could see.

Her eyes widened. "You two are handcuffed together?!"

Adam and Chase nodded obviously. "Didn't you notice when we came up here?" Adam inquired.

"No, I was so busy preparing dinner that I didn't notice. Why would you handcuff yourselves together?"

"It wasn't us!" Chase exclaimed. "It was Mr. Davenport!"

"What was me?" Donald announced, entering the kitchen. He immediately noticed Tasha's upset face, the shattered plates on the floor, and Adam and Chase standing over the mess. Donald cringed and attempted to hurriedly break away.

"Donald!" Tasha called after him. Her husband stopped in his tracks. His shoulders lifted and fell in a sign of defeat.

Donald turned. "Yes, Honey?"

"What were you thinking handcuffing Adam and Chase?" Tasha scolded, gesturing to the teens.

"It's a bonding technique. They've been fighting a lot recently, so I decided to teach them a lesson in how to get along."

"Well, it's seems to have done the exact _opposite_. Look at my plates!" Tasha pointed to the sad remains of her dishes. "I asked them to set the table and all they did was argue _more_."

Donald took a good look at the boys' mess. "Ouch. I've been there… Uh, guys, go get the broom to sweep this up. We wouldn't want anyone getting injured."

Adam and Chase scurried away, happy that Tasha's wrath passed from them to their father. That didn't, however, stop them from pushing, shoving, and squabbling on their way to the cleaning supplies.

Donald refocused his attention on his fuming wife. "Look Tasha, I'm sorry about the plates. I'll get you new ones."

"Donald, this isn't just about the plates. I don't think this 'bonding exercise' is a good idea. You saw them! Those two boys are an explosion waiting to happen. By locking them together, you just made them more annoyed. First your little gadget-y gismo and now my fine china! If they keep going like this, Adam and Chase will end up inadvertently destroying the whole house!" Tasha ranted.

"Honey, settle down," Donald said, rubbing his wife's shoulder. "I know it looks bumpy right now, but things will smoothen. Trust me; my parents had Douglas and I do this when we were kids. Yes, I hated it at the time, but it worked! Douglas and I have never worked so well together – not even when we started Davenport Industries."

Tasha still seemed leery. "I don't know, Donald. You and your brother don't have the best track record of friendship."

"We're on good terms now, aren't we?"

"Oh, so you're telling me that little 'bonding exercise' is what reunited you guys as brothers?"

"It's possible!" Donald defended.

Tasha sighed. "Fine. I'll trust that you know what you're doing. But if those two boys break _anything_ more of mine, it's on your head."

Donald held up his hands in defense. "Point made. And don't worry. This will work. Mark my words."

* * *

Dinner had finally come around and everyone was seated at the table – minus Douglas. Adam and Chase were forced to sit next to one another for obvious reasons. The news of their situation had reached all the family members. Contrary to Tasha's concerns, Leo and Bree found their brothers' circumstance to be hilarious. Bree made sure to take a picture of them and post it on her profile (against her brothers' desperate pleas). Leo had informed Adam and Chase that he would be mocking them about this far into adulthood. According to him, comedy-gold like that didn't come around very often. Adam and Chase, however, were still quite dismal about the predicament.

A few minutes after the family had settled down to eat, Douglas burst through the front door.

"Hey guys; sorry I'm late. InventionsRUs was having a huge sale – buy 10 cogs, get 10 free! Plus, as a frequent shopper, I got an extra 25% off sprockets; what a steal!"

"And that is yet another example of why there is no 'Mrs.' Douglas Davenport," Bree stated.

"I disagree, Bree. That sounds like a very successful shopping trip to me, Douglas. We can use all those parts to try and repair _my Neural Retriever_ which took me _years to make_ but was _destroyed_ in _two seconds_ by two _boys_ who will remain nameless," Donald seethed, looking to Adam and Chase.

Adam leaned over to Chase and whispered, "I think he's talking about us…"

Chase rolled his eyes. Douglas scrunched his eyebrows together. "Wait, did you say _destroyed?_ "

Donald solemnly nodded. "Sad, but true. Adam and Chase were, once again, arguing. Through a series of irritating events, they ended up crushing the device."

"Well, technically… _Chase_ was the one who knocked it over," Adam pointed to his brother.

"Only because 'the Hulk' over here can't resolve issues in a civilized manner. Just because I refused to write his history paper, Adam decided to 1) trap me in the elevator and 2) throw me across the room when I demanded freedom!" Chase retorted. "Then I flew over the cyber desk, and Mr. Davenport's invention was pushed off."

"Wow, now I know how Mom and Dad must've felt when Donnie and I broke that expensive vase while fighting," Douglas replied, taking a seat at the table.

"Well, Douglas, I think you should know that I arranged a little… punishment/bonding exercise for Adam and Chase," Donald spoke to his brother.

Douglas squinted. "You don't mean...?"

Adam and Chase hurriedly lifted their hands, revealing the silver bracelets that bound them. Douglas looked at them, sighing. "The handcuff trick? Really Donnie? You of all people should be against that."

"I know I am," Chase mumbled.

"Come on, Douglas. Think about how well this worked for us!" Donald pressed.

"That may be true, but you know it wore off. Why put another generation of Davenports through the horror of being chained together?" Douglas countered.

"I believe in this technique. Just you watch. In a matter of days, you'll be telling me I was right. Besides, Tasha, Bree, and I have all fallen victim to Adam and Chase's ridiculous fighting."

"We're right here, you know," Adam said with offense.

"The point is," Donald spoke, ignoring his children, "They need to learn that there are consequences to goofing around. Give it some time; they'll figure it out."

"Again, we're right here in the room," Chase restated.

Douglas looked away thoughtfully. Turning back to his brother, he conceded, "Alright, I cave. What would I know about parenting, anyway?"

* * *

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

Chase watched in fixed vexation as his left hand was repeatedly tugged upward and dropped on the table. Adam was next to him shoveling food in his mouth with his right hand – the hand that was bound to Chase's left. The younger boy's eye twitched as that infernally repetitive rhythm etched itself into his brain.

Finally, Chase had to speak up. "Adam! Would you stop that?"

"Wut, I'm dust feating," Adam replied distortedly through a mouthful of chicken. Swallowing his food, he asked, "Would you rather I starve?"

"I'd rather you stop eating with your right hand. It's making my left hand move, and that's annoying."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me…" Adam muttered. "Besides, I'm right-handed. I'm not used to using my left hand that much."

" _Sounds like a personal problem to me…_ " Chase mocked. Adam scowled. "Looks like you'll just have to become ambidextrous."

Adam's eyebrows knitted in confusion. Chase rolled his eyes. "Being ambidextrous means you can use both your hands to do things like write, swing a bat, and, in your case, eat."

Adam slowly nodded to signify that he understood. But then a thought dawned on him. "Wait a second! Why do I have to change which hand I use? Why can't you?"

"I'm already using the hand farthest from you. See, _I'm_ thoughtful," Chase boasted.

"Only because you're right-handed, too. Don't act like you made some huge sacrifice when things played out in your best interest. If you were in my shoes, it wouldn't be so easy! And it isn't! Why should I be expected to conform to your comforts?"

"Because it was by mere coincidence that we got handcuffed like this. I didn't choose which side of you to stand on so that my right hand would remain free. Or did I…?" Chase grew a cunning smirk that made Adam even angrier.

"Yea, well I didn't think that deeply into it!"

"Shocker… You didn't think? That's _so_ unlike you, Adam."

"Cut it out, guys," Donald interrupted. "If I let this fight go on any longer, you'll break the table."

Both teens became quiet and slumped in their chairs.

"Good," Donald said. "Now, Adam, I'm sorry it happened this way, but you should be considerate of Chase and learn to use your left hand."

"What?!" Adam whined.

"Ha!" Chase bragged.

"And Chase," Donald said, turning to the younger boy, "You also need to be more considerate. The whole point of this exercise was for you to walk a mile in each other's shoes. Adam is facing a challenge, and you shouldn't rub it in his face. Instead, try to help him. Have sympathy."

"Big deal; so he has to use his left hand for the time being. There are bigger trials one can face."

"Chase…" Davenport spoke in his warning tone.

"Fine…"

"Ha!" Adam exclaimed.

"It's getting pretty late, and you guys have school tomorrow. You might want to think about turning in for the night," Douglas suggested.

The bionic teens groaned. Leo smirked. "Man, I'd hate to be you guys."

"Leo, it's off to bed with you, too, Mister," Tasha said. Leo's cocky grin fell.

"You were saying?" Bree teased, crossing her arms. Leo frowned.

"Come on, guys. Adam, Chase, I'll go down with you to unlock the handcuffs," Donald stated. The boys automatically perked up. Donald added, "Just for the night!"

Adam and Chase slumped their shoulders. All four siblings exchanged "goodnights" before Leo headed upstairs. Along with Bree, the chained brothers trudged down to the lab. Neither Adam nor Chase was very thrilled about tomorrow. Tomorrow they went out in public for the first time after being handcuffed together. Tomorrow they went to school and faced inevitable mockery from classmates.

Tomorrow was a day they didn't want to experience.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this chapter took so long to post. My family is in the process of moving right now, and I became unexpectedly busy these past couple weeks. That's why I've been kinda MIA. When I first posted this story, I thought there would be more time to update, but I've had a lot of other things to help with and do. That being said, the updates for this story will slow down for a while. I wouldn't expect any new posts for a least the next few weeks. I apologize for that. I didn't foresee being this busy. This story definitely isn't on hiatus; I did finish it, and I plan to finish posting it. There's just going to be a stall. I'm just as anxious to share the story as I hope you are to read it, but real life must take priority. Thanks in advance for being patient with me.**

 **On a more positive note, Chapter 3 is one of my favorites, because I had a lot of fun writing it. You'll find out why in a second ;) Hopefully the sheer insanity contained in the next two-thousand-something words will tie you over until Chapter 4. Enjoy!**

* * *

Donald and Tasha were snuggled on the couch watching a romantic comedy. The weather outside was mild and peaceful. Clouds scattered the sky; a crisp breeze blew around; the mansion atop the hill was quiet and serene. However, the hour was approaching 2:30. That meant the kids would be home from school soon. Donald knew today would be particularly rambunctious, because today was Adam and Chase's first day going to school handcuffed. He couldn't wait to hear about that…

As per usual, Adam and Chase had been fighting all morning. Adam liked to sleep in and wait 'till the last possible minute to head off for school. Chase preferred to be one of the first people up in the morning and get to school early. Now, the boys had to go at the same pace. Needless to say, there was dispute on how fast or slow they should've been moving. Davenport managed to get them out the door, though. That in itself was his proudest accomplishment.

On schedule, the four Davenport teens came through the door minutes later. Bree and Leo entered first, the former typing away at her cell phone. Donald almost believed that nothing had gone wrong by how mild-tempered Bree and Leo looked. When Adam and Chase came in, however, it was obvious they were infuriated. Donald thought the smart move was to overlook it.

"Hey guys," he said calmly, pausing his and Tasha's movie, "How was school?"

Bree and Leo didn't say anything, knowing that Adam and Chase would more than cover that day's events.

"How was school, you ask?" Chase started. "Worst day of school ever! And that's coming from _me!_ "

"Yea!" Adam agreed. "You could have sent me to school handcuffed to _anyone_ , but it just _had_ to be Chase!"

"What happened that was so horrible?" Tasha asked.

"Where do I begin…? Oh, I know! From the moment we walked through the school doors."

* * *

 _Chase was used to being embarrassed. Trent had been using him as a tackling dummy for years. But, for him, there was no greater humiliation than walking through the doors of Mission Creek High handcuffed to Adam. To Adam, b_ _eing handcuffed to his dorky younger brother meant automatic social death._ _The looks of curiosity and discreet chuckles from peers did not go unnoticed by the brothers. Most people had already heard the news from Bree's post the other night. However, some students found the sight to be a surprise. Adam and Chase just tried ignoring everyone._

" _I need to get my chemistry book out of my locker," Chase explained. "It's my first class."_

" _But my first class is Algebra 2," Adam replied._

 _Chase thought for a minute. "Aw man… I forgot that we have different schedules. One of us is going to have to skip our class and go with the other to their classes."_

" _We might want to tell Perry first," Adam suggested._

 _Chase nodded. At that moment, Principal Perry was walking out of her office. "Principal Perry!" Chase called._

 _She turned toward the sound of her name. Once her eyes landed on the Davenport brothers, she contorted her face in disgust. The hateful principal approached the boys. Snarling, she asked, "What do you want, Little Bo Peep?"_

 _Chase rolled his eyes. "It's a long story, but, basically, our dad handcuffed Adam and I together as some sort of twisted punishment. So we have to do everything together until further notice. That means one of us will have to skip our classes for a while."_

" _So?"_

" _So, I thought that was something you'd like to know…" Chase spoke slowly. "Wouldn't you care about us missing our classes?"_

" _I care very little about you two," Perry replied with all seriousness._

 _The boys decided it would be wiser to attend Chase's classes. He was, after all, the only one out of the two brothers that paid any attention to school. Adam was a lost cause at this point; it wasn't like he was going to miss out on learning. He failed to pay attention no matter what subject was being taught. Chase, on the other hand, valued his education and his classes. He hated to miss out on relearning a bunch of information that he already knew._

 _Naturally, the first thing Adam and Chase did was explain their situation to the chemistry teacher. Mr. Tate was merciful enough to include Adam in the class and make him and Chase lab partners. Chase assumed that because this was school (not to mention an advanced class), Adam would back off and let him do all the work. Chase preferred to do things alone, anyway; in his mind, only he knew how to do things perfectly. Plus, having a lab partner like Adam wouldn't have afforded him much help._

 _Mr. Tate had assigned them to do an experiment from the book. Unfortunately for Chase, Adam found the prospect of mixing "random, cool chemicals" to be "awesome."_

" _Okay, Adam, just let me do everything," Chase instructed._

" _What? No way! I wanna do something," Adam complained._

" _You want to help? But-but this is a school project," Chase explained, flabbergasted, "Adam Davenport and school don't mix. Besides, you didn't even take chemistry."_

" _Well you don't exactly have to be a short, annoying super-genius - like yourself- to pour fluids into a container."_

" _It's not that simple, Adam," Chase protested. "You need to mix the_ right _chemicals or else dangerous reactions could occur. The instructions in the book tell you what is safe to combine. So, just let me handle everything, because you don't follow directions very well."_

" _Except for every instruction you've ever given me on a mission…"_

 _Chase glared at Adam. The older boy heaved a sigh and submitted to Chase's orders. Chase smiled in relief and began the experiment. Adam dejectedly trailed behind Chase wherever he moved. He watched in silence for a while as Chase proceeded with the project. Everything looked so cool! Adam was painfully close to all sorts of amazing substances. However, he wasn't allowed to play with any of them._

 _After adding_ _thymolphthalein to the mixture, Chase turned back to the book. His eyes scanned the directions for the final step. "Let's see. Ah, here it is. Lastly, add ten drop of six mole_ _sodium hydroxide…" Chase mumbled and dropped the rest of his sentence._

 _Adam's eyes lit up with an idea. While Chase was distracted, Adam would secretly do what he wanted to the experiment. After all, Chase wasn't the boss of him. If Adam wanted to contribute to an assignment that they were_ both _supposed to be working on, he would. The older teen then overviewed the work station for a fun-looking chemical to add. His eyes soon landed on a beautiful, blue liquid. He decided to choose that one; the mixture Chase was working on cried out for something to brighten it up._

 _Slowly, Adam reached out for the tube with his left hand. His eyes switched from the glass container to Chase over and over; he wanted to be sure that his younger brother wasn't going to catch him. Once he had the bottle in his hand, Adam steadily maneuvered it over to the mixture. Just then, Chase lifted his head from the chemistry book and immediately noticed Adam._

" _Adam, what are you doing?" he asked with irritation._

" _I'm adding something to the mixture. You don't get to tell me what to do! If I want to help, then I'm gonna help."_

" _Every time you try to 'help,' you just make things worse. Now put that down! You don't even know what it is or what it'll do."_

" _Don't care! I'm going to show you that I'm capable of doing something and that you're not the only smart one!" Adam fired back. He then began to feverishly pour the blue substance into Chase's mixture._

" _Adam, stop! That's dangerous! It's going to-"_

 _ **BOOM!**_

 _A huge, thick, blue cloud of gas erupted from the mixture and filled the classroom. A few people cried out in surprise, and students began to cough or fan the gas out of their faces. Mr. Tate hurried over to the far wall and opened the windows. Within minutes, the majority of the gas filtered out of the classroom. Once the fog-like substance was gone, everyone could see clearly. Adam and Chase still stood at their workstation. Because they were closest to the explosion, their faces were completely covered in a bright blue powder. Fortunately, they had both been wearing goggles._

 _The oldest bionic turned to his incensed younger brother. Genuinely puzzled, he asked, "It's going to what?" Chase grinded his teeth but didn't say a word._

 _While some of the students began to laugh at the explosion or the brothers' appearance (or both), Mr. Tate hastily approached the Davenport boys._

" _Adam, Chase, what were you thinking?!" he yelled._

" _Mr. Tate, I'm sorry. That was Adam! I tried to tell him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen," Chase said._

 _Mr. Tate turned his attention to Adam. "Adam, why would you do that? A basic rule of chemistry is to never mix chemicals randomly!"_

" _Really? Man, this class turned out to be a real disappointment…" Adam muttered._

 _Ignoring Adam, Mr. Tate said, "You two are fortunate that gas wasn't deadly! Just get to the principal's office – both of you!"_

" _B-but Mr. Tate, I didn't do anything. Please don't make me go to the office! It's all Adam's fault, anyway!" Chase pleaded. Offended, Adam turned to Chase with a wide mouth._

" _You're handcuffed together; I can't send Adam without sending you. Besides, this is your class and not his. Adam was your responsibility, Chase."_

 _Chase hung his head. He thought it best not to fight his teacher. Hopefully he could've still gotten out of this unpunished – that is if Perry had mercy on him. "Fine…"_

 _Chase and Adam took off their goggles and placed them on the table. On their way out the door, they removed their half-worn lab coats and hung them up. The boys then headed for Principal Perry's office._

" _Wait to throw me under the bus! Some brother you are!" Adam exclaimed when they were out of earshot._

" _Some brother you are, too!" Chase spat. "You know how much I try to lay low and stay out of trouble! I told you not to do anything! I told you not to add that chemical! Look at us! We look like Avatars no thanks to you! I told you that you're bad at following directions. Now I might get in trouble because of your careless actions!"_

" _I couldn't help it! You always treat me like I can't do anything. I wanted to prove you wrong!"_

" _Yea? How'd that work out for you? Did any of this prove or_ disprove _that you're capable?!"_

" _Hey!" Perry yelled, breaking up the fight. "T-bone, Little Dutch Boy, quit your yammering and get in my office!"_

 _Adam and Chase sent daggers at each other before trudging into her office. Principal Perry wasn't far behind them. Once they were inside, she took a seat behind her desk as the boys plopped in nearby chairs._

" _Now, what happened in Chemistry?"_

 _Adam and Chase started yelling at the same time._

" _It was his fault-"_

" _Not true! He-"_

" _I tried to warn him! He doesn't listen-"_

" _He's a control freak-"_

" _-Turned us into human blueberries-"_

" _-Stick-in-the-mud-"_

" _-Mixing random chemicals-"_

" _Quiet!" Perry exclaimed, breaking up the squabble. The brothers silenced their blame-game. "I've heard enough. Doesn't matter whose fault it actually was. You two are handcuffed together; you take equal blame."_

" _What?!" Chase shouted, shooting out of the chair. Adam was forced up by the hurried movement of his brother. He cried out in pain as his right hand was quickly yanked. "But Principal Perry, I didn't do anything!"_

" _Oh, I'm sowwy!" she mocked in a pouty voice. "But I've made my decision. Detention for a week."_

" _But that's not fair!"_

" _Life's not fair. Deal with it, Short-stack."_

 _Chase grumbled, glared at his brother before sitting back down. Adam followed suit._

" _Now," Perry began, "Before I send you two off to clean your faces, there's one more thing I need to do." She took her phone off the desk and promptly snapped a picture of Adam and Chase before they could react._

" _Hey, what was that for?" Adam asked._

" _A laugh," Perry replied. Chuckling, she added, "You two look like a couple of blue raspberries."_

* * *

 _Adam and Chase walked out of Geometry. It was Chase's last class before lunch. After taking a whole 20 minutes to scrub that blue gunk out of their hair and off their faces, they continued on as usual. Naturally, there was still some unspoken tension._

 _The boys were about to enter the cafeteria when Adam stopped. Chase halted, as well. "What is it, Adam? I'm hungry."_

" _Just give me a second, Chase. I see Caroline over there. I asked her to the dance last week, and seeing as there have been some changes, I should probably go over and explain," Adam replied. "You know, because I can actually get a girl to go with me."_

" _For your information, I don't have a date because I don't like dances. I'd much rather spend time on my homework than be at a party. Who enjoys that?"_

" _Normal people. Normal people enjoy parties."_

 _Chase scowled. Adam then led the way to where Caroline was standing. His brother slummed behind him. The brunette was transferring books into her locker. From how Adam approached, Chase was standing behind him, hidden by the larger form of his older brother. He had no interest in being part of the exchange, anyway._

" _Hey, Caroline."_

 _She looked up and smiled at Adam. "Hey. What's up?"_

" _Well, I just wanted to make sure we were still on for the dance."_

" _Yup. Pick me up at five?"_

" _No problem. But, here's the thing… Someone may be joining us."_

 _Caroline narrowed her eyes._

" _Absolutely not!" she heard from behind Adam. The girl watched in surprise as Chase popped out from behind the older boy. "There is no way you're dragging me on some lame school dance date!"_

" _Uh, Adam, what's going on?" she inquired. The bionic sighed._

" _Okay, here's the deal: me and my brother, Chase, have been fighting a lot. So our dad handcuffed us together. That most likely means we'll still be locked together come the night of the dance," he chuckled nervously._

" _So I have to go with… both of you?" she wondered, eyeing the brothers with disdain._

" _Technically, yes. But you'll barely notice Chase is there. He won't bother us."_

" _Hold it! I never agreed to accompany you and your date to the spring formal. I refuse to be a third wheel! Besides that, Adam, I told you that I don't like dances," Chase stated firmly._

 _Adam gave him a face that said "be quiet." Chase kept a defiant look and posture. Caroline just stood and speculated the odd exchange._

" _You know what," she started, turning the attention back to her, "Thanks for the offer, Adam, but I can't go with you. I just don't think we'll be able to get to know each other or have a nice time with a third person around. It's nothing personal, Chase. This just won't work for me. Adam, you should ask someone else." Caroline gave him an apologetic smile. She then slammed her locker shut and scurried away._

 _Adam held a sad and shocked look on his face as he watched Caroline retreat. Suddenly, his countenance turned red and furious. He turned back to Chase, quickly punching his little brother in the arm. Chase screamed and reached to grab his probably bruised bicep._

" _Nice going, Chase! Now I don't have a date. I was really looking forward to going with Caroline," Adam said. "You scared her off! Why couldn't you have just done this favor for me?"_

" _Oh, I'm sorry, Adam. I have no idea what it's like to explicitly ask someone to or not to do something but they don't listen. Must be rough!" Chase spat sarcastically._

 _Adam squinted. "You did that on purpose as payback?!"_

 _He put on a satisfied smile. "No. It was just a happy coincidence. Now you know how I felt when you ruined my chem. project and got me in trouble."_

* * *

"Does that answer your question?" Adam asked irritably. The four teens then left Donald and Tasha alone in the living room.

Tasha waited until the children were gone to start talking. "See, Donald? This was a bad idea. Adam and Chase aren't growing closer; they're growing apart. Plus, they got in even more trouble at school!"

"Tasha, I know this looks bad, but I can turn things around," Donald responded confidently.

"How so?"

"I'll just have to engage them in exercises that will strengthen their ability to work together. That'll make everything ten times easier."

"Oh, I can't wait to see how that plays out…" Tasha mumbled, shaking her head in doubt.


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on, Chase! Please! I really want to try out my new Xbox," Adam whined. He widened his eyes and jutted out his lower lip for an added guilt factor.

"No Adam! I have homework to do. I'd say that you should study too, but at this point, why bother? You're grades aren't getting any better. I, on the other hand, actually have a shot at being valedictorian," Chase insisted.

"See, this is why you don't have friends! Instead of having something we normal people call ' _fun_ ,' you'd rather study to become a valomictorium."

Chase heaved an irritated sigh. "This conversation is giving me a migraine…"

"Does that mean you cave?!" Adam asked hopefully.

"No! I stand by my convictions! There's no way I'm going to blow off my schoolwork."

Adam pouted. All he wanted was to play videogames! Why did Chase have to be so impossible? Adam just _had_ to be handcuffed to the most boring teenager in the world. At this rate, he'd be fortunate if he ever saw a game console again. So long as he and Chase were locked together, Adam wouldn't have any fun.

Then again… perhaps there was a way for both brothers to do what they wanted.

An idea struck Adam and he perked up. "Okay, how about this: what if you do your homework _while_ I play videogames?"

Chase squinted. He was all prepared to shoot down Adam's idea, but then he stopped and thought. It did make a lot of sense. Chase could sit on the couch and do his homework, and Adam could play on his new console. Who would've thought that Adam could produce a useful idea?

"Fine. That's reasonable," Chase agreed nonchalantly, as not to seem too impressed. He wouldn't dare give his older brother the satisfaction of knowing he impressed his genius younger brother.

He grabbed his backpack from the cyber desk and swung it over his right shoulder. Side by side, the two boys made their way into the elevator.

* * *

Once upstairs, the pair found the living room to be empty. It didn't take them long to make themselves comfortable. Adam went about the business of setting up his console. Without choice, Chase stood near and waited for his older brother to finish. He impatiently watched as Adam pressed buttons and synced the controller. After he was done, the brothers sat down on the couch.

The next sixty minutes were rather civil. Chase was able to knock out his Geometry, Geography, and Biology homework. The most obnoxious thing Adam did - which was, in Chase's opinion, bearable – was his occasional grunts or outbursts when he failed a level. Chase tuned that out, though – literally. He turned down his bionic hearing so that he wouldn't have to listen to a single second of his brother's videogame-fueled rage. As long as Adam didn't jerk his hands or his body, Chase was happy.

Unfortunately for the teenage genius, Adam had made it to the boss level. The adept gamer spent the past hour beating 24 difficult levels. Every video game player was familiar with the euphoria of reaching the end-all level and facing off against the toughest programmed enemy in the game. It was a milestone, a proud accomplishment to reach the last level. Adam would then either drink in a glorious victory or scorn a terrible defeat. Regardless of whether he failed or succeeded, Adam was sure to manifest his emotion in the form of movement. Chase, however, was oblivious to his brother's virtual faceoff.

Adam's fingers flew over the controller, repeatedly pressing buttons. His back was arched away from the couch cushion as he kept his eyes trained on screen. He continued muttering words of encouragement to himself, talking himself through what was necessary to complete the level. Then that moment came - the sting of unproductive ambitions. Adam played a valiant game, but his well-programmed opponent was stronger, swifter, and wiser. Adam's eyes bulged as those infamous, hated words flashed across the screen.

 **Level failed. Game over.**

In an impulsive act of fury, the enraged boy shot up from his seat yelling, "No! That's not fair! I had it; I was _so_ close! Why?!"

Due to his brother's rushed movements, Chase was jerked off the couch. That combined with Adam's outburst affectively startled the boy. He was now forced to reactivate his hearing.

"Adam!" Chase yelled. "What is wrong with you?! Why'd you do that?"

"I just spent the past hour getting to this stupid level just to be defeated! I was about to win!"

Chase looked at him, dumbfounded. (And Chase couldn't say that he was dumbfounded very often.) "Not winning this mind-numbing waste of time warranted jumping up from the couch, yelling, and making me drop my schoolwork?"

"You don't understand, Chase! I was so close to victory!"

Chase huffed. He bent down to pick his homework off the floor while saying, "I understand that my work better not be messed up or-"

"Or what? You think I'm threatened by someone 1/18th my size?" Adam spat sarcastically.

Chase ignored his brother's insult. He scooped up his homework and set it all on the coffee table. Crouching down, Chase flipped his schoolwork right-side-up and examined it. Most everything appeared to be fine – crumpled, but fine. Then Chase came across the report he was writing when Adam jumped up. His eyes widened when they fell upon the thick, black mark from his pen that ran diagonally across the length of the paper. Adam looked over Chase's shoulder and cringed at the deformity.

"Yow! Uh, Chase, I don't know what you were trying to do, but that probably won't get you a good grade. I should know. I've found many creative ways to fail homework."

Chase turned to face his brother with burning eyes. Adam flinched.

"I didn't do this, Adam! You did! When you jumped up, my hand must've jerked and created this mark _all over_ the A+ paper I was writing!" Chase bellowed.

"Oh, what's the big deal? You can write another report. I suffered a much bigger loss than you, anyway! The loss of that level…"

Before Chase had a chance to backlash, Donald entered the living room.

"Hey guys; China just called. They wanted me to ask you two to keep the noise down," he wisecracked. Adam and Chase rolled their eyes. "Now, quit your arguing and follow me."

"But Mr. Davenport, Adam-"

"I don't want to hear it, Chase. You can fix whatever went wrong later."

Chase's face twisted into a look of displeasure. Adam silently stuck his tongue out at his brother, making sure Davenport didn't see. He got a glare in return. After that immature display, Adam and Chase stood and followed their father upstairs. While they were walking, Donald began explaining his idea to the boys.

"It occurred to me when you came home from school earlier that I shouldn't have left you guys to figure all this out on your own. So, I want you two to try some activities that will strengthen your ability to work together. These tasks will be made harder since you guys are basically sharing a hand, but that's the point. You need practice. That became extremely evident after the plate incident last night."

"Well, what kinds of 'tasks' did you have in mind?" Chase asked apprehensively.

Donald came to a stop in front of a guest bedroom. "You'll see. Come inside."

With Donald leading, all three guys entered the room. It had a standard look. There was a queen bed, a desk, two nightstands, and dresser with a TV mounted over it. Placed on a chair were linens: pillows, blankets, sheets, and a huge comforter for the bed. Adam and Chase took notice of the fact that the bed was bare, the furniture was quite dusty, and the carpet was covered in random scraps of paper.

"Uh, Mr. Davenport, what happened to this room?" Chase inquired.

It was an anomaly for any of Donald's many guest rooms to be messy. The inventor took pride in every aspect of the mansion – the spare rooms included. However, since the Davenports rarely had company (outside of Grandma Rose), the bedrooms typically went unused. Thus, they always remained clean and spotless. So it was shocking for the boys to see one of the spare rooms in such a disorganized state.

"I enlisted the help of Bree to mess this room up. I had her use her super speed to untidy everything," Donald explained.

"Why?" Adam questioned.

"Because the first activity I'm going to have you guys do is cleaning. You'll work together to make the bed, dust the furniture, and vacuum the carpet."

"What?!" the boys yelled in sync.

"You expect us to clean this whole room while handcuffed together? Mr. Davenport, that won't end well," Adam said.

"Yea," Chase agreed, "Adam and I don't have that kind of skill."

"Well, you're about to develop it," Donald said cheerily. The boys still looked doubtful. "Guys, it'll be fine. Just remember: work together and don't make arguing your first resort when something goes wrong. Try fixing the problem together. Play to each other's strengths."

"But Chase doesn't have any strength for me to play on," Adam countered. "He's got a surplus of shortness and annoyingness, though!"

"You know, Adam, I should be insulted. But I'm rather impressed you know what 'surplus' means. And for the record, not true!" Chase replied, pointing an accusatory finger at his brother.

Donald sighed. "And we're off the tracks already! Look, I'll be back in one hour. Make this room shine."

With those last words, Donald left.

* * *

Donald whistled as he strolled down the hallway. Adam and Chase's sixty minutes were up, and the inventor was going to check on them. He was in particularly high spirits right now, because he anticipated that the boys successfully completed their assignment. Donald had unfounded faith in them and this plan. He was convinced that Adam and Chase would be brought closer together emotionally by being chained together physically. After all, this _was_ his idea, and Donald was a brilliant scientist! If a genius like him could crack the intricacies of the human brain, he could certainly repair his two sons' damaged relationship.

Donald came to a stop outside the bedroom door. He could faintly make out the voices of Adam and Chase behind the thick wood. Donald's confidence dropped to his stomach. He desperately hoped that they were loudly complimenting each other instead of fighting again. Taking a breath, he gripped the handle and swung the door open. When he stepped inside, the sight he witnessed froze him in place.

The most standout thing about the room, or what was left of it, was the ridiculous amount of pillow feathers. They covered the carpet, the bed, the furniture, and the boys' heads. And strew across the room were shredded pillows that had been emptied of their soft filling. The bed was unmade, and burn marks covered the mattress. Emanating from those scorched patches of mattress was smoke. Pristine white sheets were being sucked up by the running vacuum cleaner. Chairs were broken and the dresser was dented as if a wrestling match had taken place minutes ago (which Donald assumed was very close to the truth.)

In the middle of all the madness were Adam and Chase, arguing as usual. They yelled over one another and pointed to various spots in the room where damage had been done, most likely blaming each other for the wreckage.

"Adam! Chase!"

Their bickering was suddenly hushed. They slowly turned to see the fuming face of their father. The boys' frightened eyes went from Donald to each other and back.

"It was him!" They both yelled, pointing to each other.

Donald sighed, wiping the outraged look from his facial features. He clapped his hands together and calmly said, "You know what? I'm not gonna yell. This… this was on me for leaving the two of you alone to clean a room. But I am going to ask the both of you a question, and I want you to answer carefully and honestly. … Do I want to know what happened?"

Adam bit his lip. Chase opened his mouth to say something, but he changed his mind and closed it. Lowering his head slightly, he replied, "Probably not, no. As far as keeping your temper goes, I'd advise against finding out what happened…"

Donald just shook his head. "Then I guess its back to the drawing board…"


	5. Chapter 5

_Knock_

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

"Rise and shine!" Donald yelled as he banged on Adam and Chase's capsules. The two sleeping boys groggily opened their eyes.

"Mr. Davenport? What time is it?" Chase asked while rubbing the sleep from his bleary pupils.

"Time for part two of 'Operation: Get-Adam-and-Chase-to-stop-arguing-so-they'll-be-on-good-terms-and-not-break-my-inventions'!"

"Yea, I never agreed to that name," Adam said.

"Look, guys; it took me a while to think up some new relationship building exercises, but I got it! So, I'll get you guys changed and cuffed and we'll be on our way."

The two teens groaned, fed up with Donald's rock-solid convictions. The peppy billionaire ignored them and went over to the cyber desk. With the press of a button, bright beams of light filled Adam and Chase's capsules, making both boys disappear from view. Once the light subsided, the young Davenport brothers were dressed. Both stepped out of their capsules and met their father by the cyber desk. As they had done for the past couple weeks, Adam and Chase relished in the short moment in time that they were apart. Their short-lived euphoria came to an end as Donald once again handcuffed them for the day.

"Now we're set! Follow me up to the kitchen," Donald instructed. The three guys walked into the elevator and started going upstairs.

"You know, Mr. Davenport, I'm surprised we're trying another exercise after the bowling incident a couple days ago," Chase remarked.

Donald cringed at the memory.

It was customary for the Davenports to have family outings every month. This month, he had thought combining family night with a bounding exercise for Adam and Chase was a good idea. It did seem like he'd be killing two birds with one stone. So, Donald chose bowling as the activity for the evening. Oh, how wrong that idea was! Long story short, Adam got his head stuck in the ball return, Chase took a few bowling balls to the head, and they both ended up sliding down the aisle. Needless to say, the family made a quick stop at the hospital before heading home. Fortunately, Adam and Chase's bionics kept them from incurring any really serious injuries. However, the Davenports surely wouldn't be allowed at _Benny's Bowling_ ever again.

"Well, that was partly my fault. You don't combine bionic brothers and bowling balls. But, today's activity is much safer. There's hardly any way for you guys to injure yourselves. I hope…"

"What cruel and unusual punishment did you arrange for us this time?" Adam inquired sarcastically.

Donald mocked a laugh. "Very funny… You'll just have to wait and see what I have planned. I enlisted the help of someone to guide you guys through today's activity."

Adam and Chase nervously looked at each other. Once the elevator reached the main floor, Donald led the boys into the kitchen where Tasha was waiting for them.

"Okay guys. I asked Tasha to instruct you on how to make breakfast for everyone. I believe she mentioned something about pancakes. Right, Honey?"

"Exactly." Upon seeing her step-sons' mortified faces, Tasha said, "Don't worry. It sounds difficult, but I'll be here to teach you. The recipe is simple, there are few ingredients, and the steps are easy."

"Well, I'll leave you three to it. Call me when the food is ready!" Donald gave Tasha a kiss on the cheek and then made his exit.

"Now, let me make this clear. I am doing Donald a favor by teaching you two how to make these pancakes. But if the cooking utensils end up even remotely like my plates, so will the two of you! Understand?" Tasha gave them a fierce look. Both boys vigorously nodded. "Good. Now, let's get to work."

* * *

"So, we've got all our ingredients out: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, eggs, and butter. Now, the recipe says-" Just then, Tasha's phone started ringing, cutting her off. She took it out and looked at the number. "Oh, sorry guys. I have to take this; it's my mom. Just read and follow the instructions. I'll be back in a minute."

Tasha answered the call and rushed off to another room. Adam and Chase heard her voice slowly die away as she got further from the kitchen.

Chase sighed. "Okay, Adam. I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice. To avoid another one of your rebellions, like in chemistry, I say we just do it together."

"Glad you finally came around, Chase," Adam smirked.

Chase pointed his finger at Adam. "On one condition. Do what Tasha said. Follow the directions and don't add random foods to the batter. Also, don't add random amounts of ingredients; you have to measure them."

"Man, you just suck the fun out of everything, don't you?! You're like an enjoyment mosquito!"

Chase glared at his brother. Adam's shoulders fell in a sign of submission. " _Fine._ It's a deal."

"Good." Looking over the instructions, Chase said, "Okay, it says to first add in the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. I'll do the flour and baking powder; you do the salt and sugar."

Adam nodded to show his consent. He measured the salt and sugar and added them into the bowl accordingly. While Adam was doing that, Chase struggled to get the new bag of flour open. The adhesive glue that bound the flap to the bag didn't want to come loose. For this reason, Adam finished his part of the work before Chase could even get started. The older boy watched his younger brother struggle in silence until he just had to say something.

"Wow, even _I_ never predicted that you'd be _this_ weak," Adam remarked.

Chase rolled his eyes. "This has nothing to do with my upper body strength or lack thereof, _Adam_. This must be a defective package of flour."

After a few more seconds of watching Chase fumble with the bag, Adam couldn't take it. "Oh, for the love of food! At this rate we'll be eating these pancakes for dinner instead of breakfast. Just give me the bag, Chase. I'll do it." Adam grabbed hold of the bag and pulled it towards himself, but Chase wouldn't let go.

"Adam, I got it! I don't need help opening a bag of flour," he spat, pulling the bag back towards his chest.

"Obviously you do, or the batter would be made by now. Just leave it me!" Adam pulled it towards himself again.

In a matter of seconds, the brothers had broken out into a tug-of-war over the bag of flour. First it was near Chase, and then it was near Adam. Their pace and speed only increased as the charade continued. Back and forth the bag went from in between the brothers.

"Let go!"

"Never!"

"Stop it!"

"No, you stop it!"

"Let me handle it!"

"Give it to me!"

Then, as Chase was once again pulling it towards himself, Adam accidentally squeezed the bag out of anger. The top of the bag burst open and a flurry of flour exploded onto Chase's face. The white powder covered everything from his forehead to his chin. It went in his ears, hid his eyebrows, and covered his nose. Once Adam got a look at his brother, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped. He let go of the bag, no longer interested in their bickering game.

"Oh my gosh, Chase!" Adam began remorsefully, "I am so… happy that that happened!" Adam then doubled over in laugher, pointing at his brother's livid yet completely white face.

As Adam's hysterics continued, Chase spat a puff of flour out of his mouth. As he blinked, flakes of the white substance fell of his eyelashes. He shook his face, trying to rid it of any loose flour particles. Chase took in the scene of his laughing brother who, by this point, had to hold onto sore ribs.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it, huh?!" he yelled over the loud chuckles of his brother.

In between laughs, Adam replied, "N-no. That was an, an accident. B-but, it was s-so fun-ny!"

Chase then did something odd. He smiled. But it wasn't a pleasant smile. It was mischievous smirk that made the hairs on the back of Adam's neck stand up. "Well, since it was so funny, I guess I'll just have to return the favor."

"Huh?"

Before Adam could react, Chase grabbed the milk and swiftly poured it over his brother's head. Adam's clenched his teeth and fists as the lukewarm liquid flowed from his head down to his shirt. It dripped down his cheeks, fell onto his lips, and drenched his hair. Some of it even managed to snake down his neck and wet the back of his shirt. Once Chase decided that he had poured a sufficient amount of milk, he dropped his hand and put the carton back on the counter.

With a cocky smile, he said, "You know what they say: Revenge is a dish best served over someone's head."

Adam chuckled forebodingly. "I'd have to say that I agree."

He then took a couple eggs and smashed them on Chase's head. Adam took the liberty of rubbing the yolk into Chase's hair like conditioner. The younger boy cringed and almost lost last night's dinner when he felt the gooey texture mix with his hair. Scattered remains of the shell adorned Chase's head, as well.

Without uttering any more words, the brothers broke into an all-out food fight. Grains of salt and sugar flew everywhere, some landing on the floor while others covered the boys' attire. Adam hurled a chunk of butter at his brother, and it hit the side of Chase's face. In return, Chase picked up the salt and sprayed Adam up and down with it. He was barely able to dodge the egg that Adam threw his way. Adam's reflexes weren't as quick when his younger brother flung baking soda on him.

Half the ingredients hit their intended targets; the other half, however, decorated the kitchen. There was a pad of butter stuck to the refrigerator, milk puddles were in several places on the tile, and baking powder was sprinkled like snow on every countertop in sight.

When the hype finally calmed down, Adam and Chase looked around their setting in horror.

"Aww man! When Tasha gets back, she'll create a sixth food group out of us!" Chase exclaimed.

"Do you think she'll notice?" Adam asked innocently.

"Oh, she noticed." The boys turned to see Tasha standing in the dining room. She had her hand on her hip, and her face looked dangerously mad. Neither brother could stand to look their step-mom directly in her eyes.

Just then, Leo came trudging down the stairs. It was obvious that he had just gotten up; his face was drowsy, and he still sported his pajamas. His eyes were half closed when he walked up to the kitchen. As the boy took in the view, however, his eyelids shot wide open. When he caught sight of his food-covered brothers, Leo's bewilderment deepened. Everyone stayed quiet and stared at each other for several moments.

"Uh, I was coming down for breakfast. But, on second thought, I can just starve," he said with a mix of sarcasm and fear. Leo slowly back away before doing a 180 and bolting back up the stairs.

* * *

Adam and Chase stood anxiously in front of their father. He had eventually found out about the incident in the kitchen. Tasha had already distributed punishment – no video games for a week for Adam and no reading for a week for Chase. Not to mention, she banned them from ever stepping foot in the kitchen again. After getting cleaned up, the brothers had to face the wrath of their other parent. At the moment, Donald was just trying to figure out what to say.

The inventor stared at the guilty faces of his sons, not saying a word. He had his arms folded as he studied the boys. Both of them bowed their heads, too ashamed to look Donald in the eyes.

Finally, he sighed. "I'm very disappointed in you two. I've been sticking my neck out for you for the past couple weeks, but you just continue to fight. And now, not only is Tasha mad at me, but it looks like I'm to blame. Which… may be true. I had a lot of confidence in you guys. I thought you were mature enough to work this out, but I guess you aren't."

"We're sorry, Mr. Davenport…" Chase apologized.

"Yea. We got a little out of control," Adam agreed.

"You guys are more than a 'little' out of control. That's why I came up with the idea of handcuffing you two in the first place. But that's only caused more problems. You fight more, you're getting in trouble at school, and you seem to have even less appreciation for one another."

"We'll try harder," Chase pleaded. "We promise, Mr. Davenport. Next time, Adam and I won't let our petty fights get in the way."

"I don't know if there will be a 'next time,' guys. Perhaps this was a bad idea to begin with. You obviously refuse to get along, so just forget it. I can't do this anymore." Donald approached the boys with a key in hand and unlocked their handcuffs. After that, the man solemnly walked out of the lab.

Adam and Chase stood still, not knowing what to do. They were free from each other (something they'd been craving for weeks), but it didn't feel like celebratory moment. They felt remorseful for causing their father all that trouble. The boys both complained about being handcuffed together, but they hadn't expected Donald to give up.

Now, all they wanted was to make it up to Mr. Davenport. Adam and Chase actually wanted to get along for a change. They wanted to prove that they _could_ work together. It could've been a milestone moment. They would've felt proud to achieve something together. It would've been better to have had the handcuffs removed because they accomplished the impossible. Instead, they were only free because they had failed…

Not that they would've admitted any of that to each other.

An awkward silence fell upon the lab. The two brothers looked at each other.

Chase was the first to break the quiet. "So… I guess that's it."

"Yea. It's over…" Adam replied.

In all honesty, it ended too unexpectedly for the boys. Mentally, they were still expecting to be handcuffed together. Physically, they had been abruptly separated.

* * *

 **Hmm... so Adam and Chase aren't handcuffed anymore. The story, however, isn't over yet lovely readers. Any predictions as to where this is going?**

 **I just have to say this: that food fight was one of the most fun parts of this story to write. Adam and Chase's bickering is surprisingly easy to create, and I love it. I hope that that culinary confrontation made you laugh.**

 **Once again, thank you all for the wonderful reviews, reads, favorites, and follows! I really appreciate the feedback. You're an awesome audience! For those who may be silent readers, why not make your voice heard and tell me what you think so far? I love hearing from you.**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 6!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Some explaining is necessary before you read this chapter. I had a lot of difficulty writing this chapter (for reasons I'll explain at the end, as not to spoil anything.) I had started writing it, but I really disliked how it was turning out. This chapter stumped me for a couple months, and at that point, it was holding up the progress of the story. So, I ended up including a chorus to this chapter. For those of you who aren't familiar with a chorus, it was often used in Greek tragedies. Since this isn't a Greek tragedy, my chorus will be a bit different from the ones used in older writings. The purpose of this chorus is to briefly explain events that I had difficulty describing in detail. It will also make commentary of sorts on the characters' emotions. It will appear it italics between the two horizontal lines (or _insert technical term for "horizontal lines" here._ ) I wanted to make sure you didn't confuse the chorus with a flashback or something, which I often do it italics. **

**Okay, that's enough yapping. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Two days passed uneventfully. There was this ever-present awkward silence that came between the Davenport brothers. Perhaps it was because both boys had things to say that they couldn't manage to vocalize. They should've been ecstatic; they should've felt free. Yet, something was off. Something was missing. Unfortunately, they didn't get the chance to figure it out before something else came up._

* * *

"I just don't understand it, Douglas," Donald said. "Being handcuffed together was one of the best things that ever happened to us. Why didn't it work for Adam and Chase?"

Douglas sighed. "Well, Donnie, just because our parents used a certain technique with us doesn't mean it will work on the next generation."

"But Adam and Chase are so much like us! I thought for sure that this would work, but it completely backfired."

"Maybe not." Donald gave his brother an inquisitive look. Douglas continued, "I remember you telling the boys that we _hated_ being handcuffed together, right?"

"Yea."

"And then you explained to them that, although we loathed it in the moment, it eventually worked and we were on good terms again."

"Uh-huh…"

"So, maybe you just needed to be more patient with Adam and Chase. For us, the mending didn't come until _after_ we were free from each other."

Donald thought for a minute. "You know what, Douglas? You may be onto something."

"That's what happens when you're the smarter brother," he boasted. Donald rolled his eyes. He would've retaliated, but he was too tired to counter his brother's delusions.

Just then, an authoritative beeping noise emitted from the cyber desk. This caught Donald's full attention. "That's a mission alert!" The inventor left his workstation and scurried over to the console. "I need to alert the kids."

* * *

 _Despite the slight tension remaining between Adam and Chase, it had to be put aside. There was a huge earthquake in suburban Welkerville. One of the older apartment buildings started to crumble and trapped six tenants inside._ _Their mission? Rescue those tenants. Of course, the job was made harder by the fact that the structure was unstable. After all, the building was old; the foundation was shaky enough without an earthquake._

* * *

The bionic team entered the lobby, only to stop dead in their tracks. It wasn't a pretty scene. Most - if not all - of the ceiling lights appeared to be out. Chairs and tables had fallen over; lamps were smashed; the big brown desk on the back wall was surrounded in broken items. Frames and pictures that used to adorn the walls were now scattered to shreds on the floor. A lot of the rugs placed on the hardwood were coated in dust and finely grained pieces of rubble.

To the left of the brown desk was a staircase leading to the next floor. The railing was loose - as were some of the steps. It looked like they had been devoured by termites. To the right of the desk was a hallway that led to the first floor apartments. As Chase was about to suggest that they head that way, a creaking sound filled his ears.

"What's that noise?" he asked. He and his siblings looked up to see cracks forming above their heads.

Bree's eyes widened. "Guys, look out!" She grabbed her brothers and sped them out of danger's path.

As she did so, that part of the ceiling caved in and a desk from the floor above them fell to the ground. It landed with a hard _crash!_ Dust filled the surrounding air, making the bionics cough and fan it away from their faces. Once the air cleared up enough, Adam, Bree, and Chase took a look at the wreckage. An assortment of wood, glass, and metal was piled in the middle of the room.

"Oh man! That almost crushed us!" Adam exclaimed.

"Mr. Davenport sure wasn't kidding about this building being unstable," Chase remarked, staring at the mess in alarm. "That's just a reminder that we need to work fast. Come on."

* * *

 _But, at the end of the day, they were bionic superhumans. Nothing was getting in their way of saving lives. Chase located a married couple on the first floor and led them to the awaiting paramedics. There was a teenage girl on the second floor, as well as a mother and daughter – all of whom Bree sped to safety. Twin brothers were found on the final floor, completing the search and rescue. Adam and Bree were instructed to bring them outside while Chase made one last scan of the third floor – just for good measure. All seemed to be going successfully as the two elder siblings led the civilians out of the building._

* * *

Adam and Bree walked out the front door of the apartments, each guiding a seven-year-old boy by the hand. Surrounding the building was a barrier of yellow police tape. Behind it was a large crowd consisting of first responders, ambulances, and rescued tenants. The police officers were meandering about, observing the scene from a distance and collecting statements from people nearby. There were also a few unharmed neighbors and passersby that gathered to see what had happened. It wasn't everyday that the bionic teens were spotted on a mission, after all.

As the people caught sight of Adam and Bree, an officer and a paramedics worker approached the tape to meet them.

"We found these two boys on the third floor; they're brothers. No adults were in the apartment with them. They should be the last ones, but Chase is checking just to make sure," Bree informed the authorities.

"Good. We'd better look them over for injuries," the paramedics worker replied. He bent down and held out his hand to the boys. "Come with me, guys. We're going to make sure you're not hurt."

The brothers looked uneasy and gazed up at Adam and Bree for approval.

"Go on, guys. It's okay. You're safe now," Adam assured them with a warm smile. He was always the best in situations like this. Adam had a way with children that Bree and Chase couldn't attain. Perhaps it was Adam's experience taking care of his younger siblings, or perhaps it had to do with the fact that he thought similar to a child. In any case, kids always seemed to feel comfortable around Adam. He was a trustworthy person.

Both boys nodded and silently went with the paramedics employee to the ambulance.

"We'll get more information and locate their parents," the officer said. "Fortunately, no one suffered any extreme injuries. Two people were rushed to the hospital for fractured bones, but everyone else just got bumps or bruises. That's all thanks to you. You have no idea how grateful this city is for your help."

"It's our pleasure, officer," Bree grinned.

"All in a day's work, ma'am," Adam replied with a country accent, tipping an imaginary hat to the cop.

Bree rolled her eyes, unable to stop a chuckle because of her older brother's childish personality.

* * *

 _Unfortunately, the feeling of pride due to a job well done did not last. The Davenports were all too familiar with events turning on a dime, and this was one of those days._

* * *

A couple minutes passed as Adam and Bree waited for their mission leader to return. Some of the crowd had died down as the excitement of the moment passed. The remaining tenants had either been brought to the hospital for further examination or reunited with their family. The bionic teens had resigned to playing Rock, Paper, Scissors in their boredom. Bree was winning every game – but only because Adam never did anything else but rock.

"Come on, Bree! Just one more game!"

"No, Adam. We've played 10 times, already."

"But I didn't win a single game! Give me one more chance!"

Bree groaned. "Fine, but this is the last time. _Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!"_

Once again, Adam's hand came down in a fist. However, Bree stuck out her index and middle finger this time, representing scissors. Upon seeing his sister's play, Adam's face lit up.

"Yes! Yes; I finally won!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. Bree shook her head, unamused by Adam's ignorance. On the inside, however, she was pleased to see her brother so happy. Humoring him was worth seeing that goofy smile on his face.

Once Adam's commotion died down, Bree turned back to glance at the apartment building. "I know it's only been a few minutes, but shouldn't we have heard from Chase by now?"

Right after Bree spoke, a faint creaking noise emitted from their com sets. It was quiet enough to be ignored by their ears, but the sound that came next wasn't.

* * *

 _The mission was simple enough; it should've been completed without a hitch. Then again, there were a lot of things that should've_ _happened. Adam and Bree should've been there with their younger brother. They should've all been able to return home safely._

* * *

A substantially louder crunch sound came from Adam and Bree's earpieces next. That wasn't what made them cringe, though. Oh, no – that most certainly wasn't it. There was a sound that followed it, a much more heartbreaking sound. Adam normally found it soothing, but this time wasn't soothing. In retrospect, how could he have been so cruel? This sound - this tear-jerking noise - was anything _but_ soothing.

* * *

 _There were a lot of things that_ shouldn't _have happened, as well. They shouldn't have stood outside the whole time playing a meaningless game. They shouldn't have been so relaxed, despite the fact that Chase still hadn't returned from the apartments. In Adam's opinion, he shouldn't have fought with his brother so much. At that moment, he truly regretted doing so._

* * *

A pain-filled yelp burst through the com set. Neither Adam nor Bree had to guess who the cry came from. It was a voice they heard every day.

"Chase!" they yelled in unison.

* * *

 _Because if the boys hadn't fought with Davenport so much, maybe they would've learned something. Maybe they would've still been handcuffed now. Maybe they would've been closer instead of wedged apart – both physically and emotionally. Maybe Adam would've been right next to his brother, ready to do whatever necessary to protect him._

* * *

Without a second thought, Bree grabbed her older brother's arm and sped back into the apartments. Rest assured that super-speeding through a crumbling building was quite difficult (and perhaps ill-advised.) Bree didn't care, though. Her only concern was getting to her brother. Within mere seconds, that's exactly what she did.

Adam and Bree found Chase on the third floor, pinned to the ground by a large wooden beam crushing his right leg. They looked up to see that part of the support column on the ceiling was missing. It now rested over their brother. Both bionic teens rushed over to their sibling, his strained groans filling the hallway. Bree knelt down by her brother's side, looking him over.

"Oh my gosh! Chase, are you okay? Well, what am I talking about? Of course you're not okay! I guess I mean: are you-"

"Bree!" Chase cut off his sister, looking up at her through blurry vision. "Just help me; ge-get it off!"

Bree's eyes widened. "Oh right! Adam, lift the beam off of him – _quickly_!"

The oldest bionic was fast to obey. He scampered to Chase's side and proceeded to lift the heavy piece of wood off his brother. Adam's gentle approach didn't stop Chase from releasing another pained cry when the pressure was suddenly removed from his leg. Adam cringed at the sight that awaited him. Upon removing the beam, Chase's siblings found his leg to be in very bad shape.

The most noticeable abnormality was the rather unnatural angle to which the limb was bent.

* * *

 _Adam couldn't seem to look away. He was never the smartest, but it was obvious that his brother's leg shouldn't look like that. He could've only imagined the pain. Why did it have to be Chase?_

* * *

There were also red gashes of different sizes that covered Chase's leg, peeking out through the tears in his mission suit.

* * *

 _Why; why did it have to be Chase – his baby brother? Why not himself?_

* * *

Last but certainly not least was the pained expression held by their youngest sibling. Chase's face was all scrunched together as he tried to endure the sting, the throbbing of his broken limb.

* * *

 _Yes, the sight proved to make Adam sick, but it was the_ knowledge _that really got to him. The knowledge that he could've prevented this; the knowledge that if only they had still been handcuffed, Chase might not have been injured; the knowledge that he failed at his most important job: protecting his family._

* * *

"That doesn't look good," Bree commented.

Adam shook his head, his traumatized eyes barely able to break away from his brother. "We have to get him back to Mr. Davenport."

Bree looked back down at her younger brother. "Chase, do you think you can stand?"

"Mm-mm…" he moaned.

Bree glanced back up at Adam in slight confusion. "I'll take that as a 'no'? Okay, change of plans. Adam, pick Chase up, and I'll super-speed us all back to the house."

Adam nodded. He moved to Chase's left side, opposite his injured leg, and steadily hoisted his brother into his arms. The younger boy gave off another groan, this one much feebler than the others. Chase's eyes drooped, and Adam could tell that his brother was losing consciousness.

"Sorry, Chasey. But, hey, try to stay awake," Adam said. Chase's weary eyes stared back at Adam, but the older boy doubted very seriously that his brother comprehended what he was telling him. "You'll get help real soon. I'll make sure of it."

With that said, Bree grabbed onto Adam and raced her brothers back to the mansion.

* * *

 **I have a hard time writing mission scenes, so the first draft of this chapter was coming out badly (in my opinion, anyway.) After fighting with this chapter for much longer than I should have, I decided upon the chorus-of-sorts. I didn't intend to take the easy way out by grazing over the events of the mission, but my older work just really wasn't, well... _working._ This isn't my proudest chapter, but I am proud of the progress I made on it, compared to the original version. In fact, once I got into a writing rhythm, I kind of enjoyed working with the chorus. It took me a while to get it right, but I think this was a creative fix to my writers block. **

**This was, however, a one-time thing. I didn't have nearly as much difficulty (if any) with the other chapters, so more choruses weren't needed. What did you guys think of it? Let me know with a review! (Oh, yea, and there's the whole Chase-getting-hurt-and-Adam-feeling-guilty thing, too. Sorry guys; I had to do it xD Chase is my favorite, and I can't control my tendency to pick on him.)**

 **Once again, thanks for all the support this story is getting! Every email that pops into my inbox gives me a goofy smile :D I'm glad you guys are enjoying my work!**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 7!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Looking good, Douglas," Donald praised, eyeing his brother's work on the Neural Retriever.

Douglas grinned, looking up from the helmet-like contraption. "Oh, thanks Donnie. I'm actually almost finished with the wiring – maybe 5 more minutes. How's it going with the program?"

"Good. The coding has been done, and I'll be able to upload it in a few minutes."

"Sounds like we might just have this thing fixed by the end of today!"

"Hopefully." A brief moment of silence followed as the inventors returned to their work. Finally, Donald said, "I wonder how the kids are doing on the mission."

"Speaking of, why aren't you monitoring them on the com. set?" Douglas asked.

"Leo broke a couple in his frenzy the last time there was a mission, and I hadn't gotten a chance to fix them." Donald paused to send a pointed glare at his step-son.

"Hey, that is not my fault!" Leo yelled from his Mission Specialist Desk, "You know my hands get clammy in high pressure situations!"

The billionaire just shook his head. " _Anyway,_ we only had three working ones, so I figured Adam, Bree, and Chase could use them the most. Besides, I gave them instructions before they left, and they're pros. This is a simple mission. They should be able to handle it."

Suddenly, a huge blur raced into the lab, followed by a blast of wind. The blur stopped in the center of them room and was revealed to be Adam, Bree, and Chase.

Skipping the greetings, Adam urgently said, "Mr. Davenport, Chase needs help!"

The two inventors and one mission specialist turned their attention to the trio. They each called out Chase's name, and Donald was the first to move. He rushed around the cyber desk to his children, Douglas and Leo coming right behind him.

"Oh my gosh…" Leo mumbled, taking his first glance at Chase. "He looks terrible! What happened?"

"Lay him on the cyber desk, Adam," Donald instructed, his eyes darting over every inch of his injured son.

Adam followed orders, gently placing his brother on the consol. Chase moaned again, beginning to weakly writhe atop the table. Donald and Douglas approached his side first, followed by the teens.

"What happened?" Leo asked once more.

"After finding the last people in the building, Chase told Adam and me to bring them outside. He stayed back to scan the apartments for anyone we may have missed. A couple minutes later, we heard him scream through the com set, so I rushed us back into the building. Long story short, Chase's leg got crushed by a falling wooden support beam," Bree quickly explained.

"Is he gonna be okay, Mr. Davenport?" Adam inquired anxiously.

"He should be. I mean, his leg is probably broken, but that can be fixed. The only question is: do we take him to the hospital or try to operate here in the infirmary?" Donald turned to his brother. "What do you think, Douglas?"

Douglas didn't answer immediately; he took a minute to look over Chase carefully – his leg in particular. "Well, a hospital is good and reliable, but Chase is in a lot of pain. I don't want to keep him waiting for too long; the injury needs attention _now._ "

"That may be true, Douglas, but can we successfully do the procedure ourselves?" Donald countered.

"I _did_ complete two years in medical school. Although the needles weren't my strong suit, I did pretty well in the 'operating on a broken limb' area."

"So… _you_ want to perform the surgery?"

Douglas nodded. "Yes. I'm pretty sure I can do it. After all, I am 'nurse practitioner evil.' Besides, I'll have you and Eddy to assist me. The convenience of doing it here at the lab is best for Chase. Besides, I do have _some_ experience. I had to tap into my medical knowledge a bit when I fixed Leo's arm and gave him bionics."

Donald looked apprehensive for a minute. Was he really going to trust the man who, for so many years, had brought these kids nothing but harm? Donald glanced at his brother, who was staring intently at Chase. Donald squinted, observing the nature of Douglas' gaze. It wasn't cruel or evil; it wasn't jealous or vengeful. It was loving and concerned. Douglas was willing to dive into performing a _surgery_ just to convenience Chase. That _was_ the kind of person Donald could trust.

Donald nodded. "Okay, Douglas; I trust you. Let's do it."

Douglas nodded as well. Without another word, the older Davenport brothers picked up their youngest son and headed for the infirmary. Once they were gone, only Adam, Bree, and Leo remained in the lab. They all looked at each other as the adrenaline from the tense moment slowly passed.

Bree sighed, slowly removing her gloves. "Man, that was stressful."

"No kidding. I feel so bad for Chase. He's really hurt," Leo commented. "Hopefully it won't take him too long to recover."

"He will, though – right?"

"What do you mean, Adam?"

"Chasey _will_ recover, right? I mean, Donald and Douglas know what they're doing; they can help him. He'll make it, won't he?"

Bree gave her older brother a small, comforting smile, placing her hand on his forearm. "Of course he will, Adam. Chase is strong. I'm confident he'll be able to recover."

"And I think we can trust that he's in good hands with Big D and Douglas," Leo added.

Adam sighed, feeling as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. However, just as quickly as relief came, guilt showed up to toss that weight back on him. He frowned, and his shoulders fell.

"What's wrong, Adam? I just told you Chase is going to be alright," Bree said.

"I know, but… I feel guilty, guys. Chase wouldn't be hurt if not for me."

"Adam, this couldn't possibly be your fault. There's nothing you – or I – could've done about it. You weren't even there when the beam collapsed on him."

"Exactly – I wasn't there. And I should've been there. You know why I _wasn't_?" Adam stared hard at his siblings, giving them a chance to answer. When neither said anything, he continued, "I wasn't there because we weren't handcuffed to each other. And we weren't handcuffed to each other because I whined and complained and gave Mr. Davenport a hard time.

"I couldn't even get along with Chase for five minutes. All we did these past two weeks was bicker! And maybe if I had tried harder to make it work, Davenport wouldn't have given up on us. Then maybe Chase and I could've still been handcuffed during the mission. Then maybe I could've been there with him when the beam fell. I could've caught it or broken it or-or… _something_. Anything would've been better than what I was actually able to do – which was nothing!"

Adam's pace and volume only increased as he continued talking – to the point where he was all but yelling by the end. His heavy breathing was the only thing to be heard, as Adam's rant had brought a grim silence over his younger siblings. Bree and Leo's faces betrayed their shock and sadness at Adam's words.

In a much quieter tone, he finished by saying, "I… _failed_ as Chase's older brother. I'm supposed to protect him, but I didn't; I couldn't – all because I was too stubborn to get along with my own brother."

"Adam, you didn't fail him. I saw you; I saw how scared you were when we first looked at Chase's leg. I know you were trying to do everything possible to help Chase. Don't focus on what we can't change. Focus on what you _did_ do to help him," Bree said.

Leo nodded. "Bree is right, Adam. You're a fantastic older brother, and I'm sure Chase knows that."

"So, you don't think he blames me?"

"No way!"

Adam nodded solemnly, wiping away the few rouge tears that fell during his speech. He wasn't sure how reassuring Bree and Leo's pep-talk actually was, being that he still felt awful about the situation. At the very least, it calmed him down for now.

"Anyway," Leo said, "My mom is upstairs fixing dinner. The surgery will probably take a while. So, maybe we should go eat – and explain everything to mom."

"Sounds good, Leo. What do you think, Adam? Tasha's cooking always cheers you up. Well, food _in general_ puts you in a good mood," Bree replied.

"That's true," Adam nodded, "But, I think I'm going to stay down here. I want to be here the second Chasey gets out of surgery."

Bree and Leo shared a worried glance. The former spoke first, saying, "Well, if that's what you want, Adam… We can't force you to come with us, but please don't worry yourself sick. Chase is going to be fine."

Adam nodded. Bree and Leo gave him comforting smiles before heading into the elevator together.


	8. Chapter 8

Minute by minute ticked by, but Adam stood his ground. Despite the fact that patience wasn't his forte, he was willing to hold out for Chase. At first he just played games on his handheld device or messed around with his Nerble. Soon, however, Adam had to get inventive in order to entertain himself. That just meant playing with Davenport's many inventions and then hiding the ones he broke.

It certainly wasn't easy to stay down in the lab that whole time. Adam's attention span was like that of a child's – if he had one at all. However, he refused to do anything else until he knew that his baby brother was okay. The fact that the surgery took so long didn't help calm his nerves. Whenever Adam had nothing to do, though, his worried thoughts were there to keep him busy. Silver lining.

Finally, after two hours of waiting, Adam heard footsteps in the hallway. He immediately straightened, hopping off the cyber desk where he had been making music with a rubber band. Donald and Douglas immerged from around the corner, but they were headed straight for the elevator and didn't notice Adam.

"Mr. Davenport? Douglas?" he called.

The two inventors turned around in surprise.

"Adam, what are you doing down here?" Douglas inquired.

"I never left. I wanted to be the first one to see Chasey and make sure he was okay. He is okay… _isn't he_? How did the surgery go? You guys were in there for a long time."

"Well, his leg _was_ pretty bad off. However, you have nothing to fear, Adam. The operation was successful, and Chase will heal with time," Donald explained. He could see Adam's tense shoulders fall as he released an anxious breath.

"In addition to his broken leg, Chase does have a slight concussion – which could explain why he was nearly passed out when you first brought him here," Douglas added.

"Is a concoction bad?"

Donald chuckled a little. "Not concoction, Adam – _concussion._ It's just a type of head injury. That said, it _can_ be bad, but Chase has a fairly mild one. I doubt if he'll even experience that many symptoms."

"Oh. Good. So, can I see him?"

Donald and Douglas shared a knowing glance. The younger brother spoke first. "Well, he's still asleep, Adam. We had to put him under anesthesia for the operation, and it hasn't worn off yet."

Adam shook him head with determination. "I don't care. I'll wait by his side until he wakes up. I just need to see him. I need to see for myself that he's okay."

Donald shrugged. "I have no problem with it, Adam. You haven't eaten in a while, though, and Chase probably won't be awake anytime soon. Are you sure you wouldn't rather come up and try to ease your mind while we wait?"

"No thanks, Mr. Davenport. I really need to see Chase now."

Douglas smiled. "You're a good brother, Adam. Just make sure to let us know the minute Chase is awake." Without waiting for Adam to respond, Donald and Douglas headed into the elevator.

The bionic strong-man sighed. "I don't feel like a very good brother right now…"

* * *

Adam slowly turned the handle, and the heavy infirmary room door opened with a _click._ He heard his heartbeat in his ears, and for some reason, Adam was particularly nervous about what he was about to see. Slowly, he stepped inside the room. Chase's bed was in the middle and the first thing anyone saw when they entered. Adam's eyes immediately went to his brother who was peacefully resting.

He made his way over to the bed, observing Chase's appearance carefully. The younger boy was wearing a blue hospital gown, and the majority of his body was covered with a soft, warm blanket. However, his casted leg peeked out, as it had to be elevated in a sling. Adam didn't know why that was, but he saw it all the time on TV, so he didn't question it. From where Adam stood, Chase didn't look as bad as before. In fact, his face was completely rid of that pained expression, which was replaced by tranquil, motionless features. Adam was thankful for that. He never wanted to see his brother in so much pain again.

"H-hey Chasey," Adam spoke. "It's me. Um… I'm not sure if you can hear me, but I want you to know that I'm here. I'll be the first person you see when you wake up. I won't leave you. I won't leave you ever again…" He mumbled the last sentence.

Deciding that standing over his brother the whole time would be a bit creepy, Adam opted to sit down. He pulled a chair close to the bed and plopped in it. Adam began to twiddle his thumbs, looking up at his brother every now and then. The only sound in the room was Chase's heart monitor, and Adam quickly took an interest in it, being that there was no other stimulus around.

He began to stare at the monitor intently, watching the green lines constantly go up and down. Adam watched with such fixation, like he was afraid Chase would flat line at any moment. He was still fearful for his little brother, and Adam wouldn't completely believe that Chase was fine until the younger boy was awake. However, the steady beat of Chase's heart was enough to keep Adam in relative peace. It's as if his brother's heart was beating for the both of them…

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

It soothed Adam; it quickly became like a lullaby to him. Without permission, that rhythm etched itself into his mind. Unbeknownst to him, Adam let that melody lull him into a state of tranquility. After a few minutes of listening, Adam fell asleep with the assurance that when he awoke, his new favorite tune would still be playing.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but I really felt that it should stand on its own.**

 **I want to take another opportunity to thank everyone for the favorites, follows, reviews, and reads that this story has gotten. I love the great feedback that you give me, and I appreciate that you accept my subpar stories as much as my** **well-written ones** **;) All the encouragement that you guys give me is a big part of why I keep writing. You help make me a better writer, and I'm grateful!**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 9!**


	9. Chapter 9

Darkness, silence, empty space – these were the first things he became aware of. He appeared to be stuck in an endless expanse of nothing. There was nothing to see, hear, taste, touch, or smell. He just _was._ It was creepy. Why was he here? How long had he been here – forever? No, that didn't seem right. How did he get here, then? What happened? Was there anything he _did_ remember?

He considered this, contorting the face he didn't have in contemplation. It was strange. Somehow, he knew that he still remembered who he was, but no personal information came to him right now. He hadn't lost his memory; it just wouldn't present itself. Weird. The only thing he seemed to grasp was that he felt restricted to the back of his own mind.

So, how could he escape? Was there any escape? He didn't know. There seemed to be some strong force keeping him weighed down to this… place? All he wanted was to leave – or at least gain some clarity. He tried to move somehow, but that was difficult when he didn't have a body to speak of. He attempted to break out by tugging and pulling at the resistant power holding him captive. Where all this strength came from, he wasn't sure, but at least it was something.

Finally, after many more vain efforts, he stopped trying. This was getting him nowhere – although he already seemed to be nowhere.

Suddenly, his surroundings began to lighten. The vast expanse of black started fading to charcoal to grey to cream until a bright light was shining in front of him. This was a bit confusing. He was sure that this wasn't of his own doing. Perhaps the lonely abyss decided to take mercy of him. With that final thought, the light enveloped him completely.

* * *

Ever so slowly, Chase's eyes slid open. His senses steadily returned, going from touch to sight to hearing. He blinked, clearing the remaining blur from his vision. All he saw at first was a crisp white ceiling. Confused, he lifted his head up to better view his surroundings. First he saw the bed, then the medical equipment, and finally, he saw his older brother quietly snoring in a nearby chair. Chase smiled, gently pushing himself into a leaned back sitting position.

"Adam…?" he croaked. No response. He tried a bit louder. "Adam?" Still nothing. In a final attempt, Chase mustered all his strength and yelled, "Adam!" Following that, he coughed viciously.

The older boy shot up, his senses immediately coming to life. Adam looked at the bed, and a relieved expression crossed his face when he saw that his younger brother was awake. He ran to the bedside, a smile growing on his lips.

"Chasey, you're awake! Thank goodness; I'm so glad you're okay!" Adam embraced his brother in a loving but tender hug, which Chase returned.

After breaking away, Chase gave his older brother an amused yet curious look. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" he rasped.

Adam squinted, tilting his head to the side. "Don't you remember what happened?"

"Sort of. I remember the mission… and my leg being crushed. Anything after that is fuzzy, though. What happened?"

Adam scratched the back of his neck. "Well… Bree and I brought you back home. Mr. Davenport and Douglas did surgery on you. I waited until they were finished and then came in here. I fell asleep waiting for you to wake up, and then you woke me up. That's pretty much it."

"Oh, okay. Were there any complications during the operation?" A confused look from Adam reminded Chase of who he was talking to. He sighed. "Did Mr. Davenport say that anything went wrong?"

Adam had to think for a moment, but he finally responded, "Nope. He said everything went well and you'd be better soon."

"Then why were you so worried?"

"Huh?"

"Why were you so worried that I wouldn't be okay?"

"Oh…" Adam looked down. "Um… I don't know. I guess I was just letting my fears get the best of me."

Chase raised his eyebrows. Did his big, strong, courageous brother just say he was _afraid_ of something? "What fears?"

"Well… I was afraid that Bree and I were too late – or that Douglas and Mr. Davenport wouldn't be able to help you. It scared me that _I_ wasn't able to help you."

"How were you not able to help me, Adam? You and Bree were at my side in a minute when I got hurt – that much I remember. You got me back here – somehow – and because of that, my leg was fixed in time."

"Yea, but… I could've been there _with_ you when that beam fell. I _should've_ been there."

"You didn't know what was going to happen, Adam. There's nothing that could've assured you being by my side."

"Yes there was…" Adam finally looked back up. "If we had still been handcuffed together, I would've been there; I could've protected you."

"We _weren't_ handcuffed, though."

"But we could've been!" Adam suddenly yelled. Chase flinched back, shock written all over his face. "If-if I hadn't fought with you so much, maybe Davenport wouldn't have given up on us. Then I could've been there with you. But I wasn't. I'm the older brother! I'm supposed to protect you, but I didn't! I-I… failed…"

Adam sniffled, and a flurry of tears fell from his lids as his upper body shook. "I was scared that you wouldn't make it, because if you hadn't, it would've been my fault. It's my fault you got hurt, but if you didn't survive… I couldn't live with myself."

Tears welled up in Chase's eyes, too; his heart broke as he realized how distraught his brother was. "Adam… this isn't your fault. You had… no idea what was going to happen. If you had, I know that you would've stayed near to protect me. But you _didn't know._ We – we have to live with the things we can't change, even if it hurts our family.

"Besides, Adam, th-that's a two-way street. I fought with you, too. Neither of us tried very hard, but it wasn't all on you."

"I-I just wish that I could go back in time and keep this from happening. The minute I saw how awful you looked, all this guilt flooded me. I would suffer any experience handcuffed together so long as I could continue to protect you," Adam admitted.

Chase nodded, wiping away the tears that fell. "Ditto. Adam, I'm really sorry. There's no excuse for how immature I was; nothing should cause a person to fight like that with their brother."

"I'm sorry, too, Chasey. I don't want to fight with you anymore. I don't want the last thing we ever say to each other to be mean."

"I agree."

There was a moment of silence which the brothers took to regain their composure. After a few minutes, Adam spoke up again. "So, you're not mad about what happened?"

Chase confidently shook his head. "No, Adam. I don't blame you."

"Good. So… one more hug?" Adam grinned sheepishly, opening his arms wide.

Chase smiled too. "Absolutely."

Adam brought his baby brother in for another embrace, but he wasn't as quick to let go. This time, he kept Chase in his arms for a while, because he didn't know when the day would come when he couldn't hold Chase like this anymore. After all, 17 years wasn't too long to start acting like a proper brother, right?

"Awww," Bree cooed from the doorway, causing the brothers to quickly break apart. "How sweet is that? I've never seen you two so close when you're _not_ trying to attack each other. It's about time you came to your senses."

"How long have you guys been standing there?" Chase asked.

"Long enough to see the cutest brother-make-up scene ever!" Leo replied.

"Hey!" Adam whined. "We're not _cute!_ Cute is for girls!"

Bree and Leo chuckled, making their way to Chase's bedside to exchange hugs. Donald and Douglas stayed in the doorway to further admire the interactions of their kids.

"Well, what do you know, Douglas? You were right! I think reality is broken…"

"Haha," Douglas mock laughed, glaring at his brother. "It isn't universally impossible for me to be right! In fact, I'm almost always right; that's what happens when you're the smarter brother."

Donald scoffed. "In your dreams." The older Davenport brothers shared a look that assured each other it was all in good fun.

"I should be saying that you were right, Donnie. The handcuffs did their job. I doubted at first, but you did well."

" _Adam and Chase_ did well," Donald corrected.

The brothers' attention was brought back to Chase when he said, "Uh, Mr. Davenport, Douglas, aren't you going to come give me a hug?"

The inventors smiled and went to join the teens in a heartfelt family moment.

* * *

 **Sorry about the long gap between chapter. I got sick recently, and the medication makes it hard to focus. Blah, blah, blah, excuses. Again, I apologize.**

 **Sadly, this is the last official chapter :( Not to worry, though; there is still an epilogue that I will be posting soon. After that, however, Bound in Brotherhood will be complete. Thanks again to all my readers for all the support! It's sad to see it end, but I'm so glad I got to share this story with everyone.**

 **Look out for the coming epilogue!**


	10. Epilogue

Bree stood still, one eyebrow quirked, her mouth ajar. Leo, Donald, Douglas, and Tasha were next to her, all expressing the same perplexity.

"Is it just me, or do you guys find this super weird, too?" she asked.

Her other family members just nodded.

"I'm glad Adam and Chase made up, but I didn't expect it to lead to this," Leo commented.

The four of them were by the stairs, looking down on the unfolding scene in the living room. Adam had exited the elevator carrying Chase mere moments ago, and the rest of the Davenports stopped to watch in wonder. Chase's leg would take about seven weeks to heal, and Adam had a fit when Donald told him that. He insisted that he would be helping his younger brother around for the next two months. Adam said that it was high time he started acting like a good older brother, and assisting Chase until the cast came off was – according to him – a good starting place. Chase tried to convince Adam that it wasn't necessary, but the elder boy wouldn't listen; he was relentlessly set on proving his new, mature nature to everyone.

It wasn't that his family didn't believe him; they just didn't think that _this_ was what Adam had in mind _._ It was sweet that he wanted to do this for Chase, but his way of handling it was a bit much. Despite the fact that a wheelchair and crutches were at Chase's disposal, Adam decided that carrying him everywhere was better. Then again, perhaps everyone should've been grateful that the boys were getting along.

Adam finally reached the couch and very carefully laid Chase down. He grew a large smile, proud to be doing his brother good. "See, Chase? Wasn't that much better than sitting in a confined little wheelchair?"

"Uh… Sure, Adam. Yes. That was… much better; you're right." Secretly, Chase hated all the babying, but he played along for Adam's sake. It touched him that his brother found so much delight in being helpful. Even though he found it excessive, Chase kind of liked the pampered treatment. Adam's heart was in the right place, after all. It really was a kind thing to do.

Adam's smile grew even bigger – if that was possible. "I knew it! So, now that we're up here, can I get you anything?"

Chase shook his head. "No thanks, Adam; I'm fine."

The older boy pouted. "Oh, come on! Don't be shy, Chase. I'll do anything; just name it!"

"You've already done so much, Adam. I appreciate it, but, really, I'm good."

"Well… can I make you more comfortable? The couch doesn't look warm enough. How about a blanket – and a pillow?"

Chase briefly turned to look at his family with a leery expression. Donald knew what he silently asking, so he motioned with his hand for Chase to accept the offer. The teen slumped his shoulders, turning back to face Adam. His older brother's gaze was so pleading. Chase couldn't possibly refuse him – not when Adam so desperately wanted to help.

"You know what, Adam? That sounds great."

Adam perked up again. "Really? Awesome! I'll be right back!"

The bionic strongman raced down the hallway in search of a blanket and pillow. When he was out of sight, the remaining family gathered around the couch.

Bree smirked, looking down at her brother. "He sure is eager. Looks like you've got yourself a personal servant for the next few weeks, Chase."

He sighed tiredly. "The ironic thing is that I didn't even want one. How can I possibly refuse him when he gets so happy after doing something for me?"

"You can't, Chase," Donald replied. "If giving him chores is what makes Adam happy, then you should do this for him."

"Besides, it's not like having a servant at your beckon call is exactly a _bad_ thing. A lot of people would love to have that, Chase – me included," Leo said.

"You guys are right. It's just weird; I don't want to seem demanding. I'm so used to doing things for myself, and I didn't mind it. Being the center of attention is awkward."

Bree chuckled. "Only _you_ could possibly find that to be a problem."

Chase shot his sister a look before Douglas spoke up for the first time. "Count your blessings, Chase. I _never_ could've gotten Donnie to do something like this for me when we were kids. Once, when I was 13, my foot was broken. I asked Donnie to get me a soda from the kitchen, but he refused!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa – back up, Douglas. You left out a very important part of the story. You broke your own foot when you landed wrong after skateboarding off the roof! Why should I have been forced to wait on you when you clearly did something dangerous and stupid?"

"Oh, here we go again! See, kids? _This_ is what I'm talking about. Everything is always _my_ fault!"

Before a fight could ensue, Adam jogged back into the living room. He brought over a huge white blanket – the softest one in the house. That was the blanket that everyone fought for in the winter. The kids often played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would get to use it during movie night (even though it was big enough for them all to share.) It was unrealistically cozy and always kept people feeling warm and secure. The other items in Adam's arms were two memory foam pillows. Those were of no particular popularity, but that didn't mean that they weren't heavenly.

Adam first directed his brother to sit up while he placed the pillow behind his back. Then he took the other pillow and propped up his brother's casted leg; he had been told that elevating the limb was good for the healing process. Adam finished by spreading the blanket over Chase, carefully tucking and wrapping to ensure that his brother was extra snug.

"There. How's that Chasey?"

Chase cringed slightly at the nickname, but he tried not to let it show. "This is actually really nice, Adam. Thank you."

"No problem! Now, what's next on the list? Oh – I'll make you something to eat."

"Adam that's not nece-" Adam had already walked into the kitchen before Chase could finish speaking.

"Nonsense, Chase! That's what I'm here for. What would you like?"

Chase sighed. Tasha bent down to whisper near her step-son's ear. "I'll allow him in the kitchen for the sake of helping you, but you know I don't trust Adam – or you – to cook anymore. So, might I suggest something simple – like PB&J?"

The bionic nodded. "Alright, Adam. I'll have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

Adam grinned. "Sounds perfect! _Especially since I don't know how to make anything else…_ Coming right up!"

For the next five minutes, the only activity in the house was Adam buzzing around the kitchen to make a sandwich. In the process, the rest of the family had taken seats in or around the living room. Sure, there were other things they could've done, but no one dared to miss seeing Adam wait on Chase hand and foot.

When the food was ready, Adam brought it to Chase with a goofy smile. Chase accepted it and was about to take a bite when he realized something. Adam was still standing directly next to him, looking intently at his brother while rocking on his heels.

"Can I help you, Adam?"

"Of course, not, Chase! I'm supposed to help you."

Chase quirked an eyebrow. "Well, why are you standing over me like that?"

"I want to make sure you like it – and that you manage to chew properly. We wouldn't want another accident. There will be no more injuries on my watch."

"Adam, I think that at 16 I'm capable of eating a sandwich. Don't worry so much about me."

"It's my job, Chase. In fact, it might be safer if I just fed you myself."

Chase's eyes widened. "No, no, Adam. You don't have to-"

Adam shoved the sandwich into his brother's mouth, effectively cutting off the protest. "Bite," he instructed.

The younger boy tossed a bewildered look at his other family. Bree was watching the encounter attentively, trying desperately to hold back an outburst of laugher; she was unable to hide a smile, though. When she caught Chase's gaze, Bree simply smiled bigger, giving her brother a shrug. The bionic genius rolled his eyes, hesitantly complying with Adam's instruction. Bite, chew, swallow. Bite, chew, swallow. Adam continued to repeat the orders until Chase had finished the whole sandwich.

"Let me get you a glass of milk to wash it down," Adam said, going back into the kitchen.

"Okay, that's it!" Chase fiercely whispered to the other Davenports. "I can't take anymore of this! I appreciate where Adam's coming from, but I have to say something. I can't stand having an older brother that acts like my mom."

"Come on, Chase. Remember that you're doing this _for Adam._ Can't you hold out a little longer? Or maybe say that you want to be left alone to take a nap; Adam would respect that. Then, you'd get a break from him _and_ some rest," Leo quietly suggested.

Before Chase could respond, Adam came back with a glass of milk nearly filled to the brim. As he made his way to the couch, Adam lost his footing on the rug and almost fell over. Fortunately, he stabilized himself in time. _Unfortunately_ , he accidently spilled the milk all over his younger brother in the process.

Chase's shoulders immediately tensed as the cold liquid splashed on him from the waist down. His mouth flew open before he yelled, "Adam!"

The older boy looked on in extreme remorse. "Oh my goodness, Chase; I'm so sorry! Here, I'll get something to clean it up." Adam ran to the kitchen and picked up the first towel he saw. Coming back, he frantically began to pat down the wet spots on Chase's blanket. In his frenzy, Adam mistakenly grazed his brother's broken leg, causing the younger boy to let out a yelp.

"Ow! Adam, that's my leg!" Chase's hand instinctively flew to the sore limb, gently rubbing it.

The older boy only looked more horrified about his actions. "Sorry Chasey! I didn't mean to do that; it was an accident! I always forget how delicate you are."

Chase sat back, a highly offended look on his face. " _Delicate_? I'm sorry; did you just call me delicate? I am not delicate, Adam!"

"Well, all I did was brush over your leg with a towel, so you'd have to be delicate for _that_ to cause you pain."

Chase gritted his teeth. "It caused me pain, _Adam_ , because my leg was _crushed by a ceiling beam_! Who could live through that and _not_ experience pain?"

Adam shrugged. "I probably could."

"You have super strength!" Chase bellowed.

"Exactly. That's why - compared to me - you're delicate!"

Just that quickly, another argument sprung up between the younger Davenport brothers. The rest of the family looked on at the fight, not particularly surprised or amused. Bree leaned over to her adoptive father.

"You don't suppose this will sprout into another everlasting feud, do you?"

Donald shook his head. "No, Bree. I think that this one will blow over pretty soon."

"What makes you say that?"

"I know from personal experience that it can take brothers a while to get things right. They will, though. They always will."

"Why?"

Donald smiled. "Because they're brothers, Bree. They're connected."

"Wait… You're not still talking about the handcuffs, are you?"

"No. Physical handcuffs aren't what keep Adam and Chase together. That wasn't what resolved their fighting." Donald stopped for a moment when the loud bickering suddenly ceased. He looked back at his boys. They seemed to be apologizing – or doing something of that nature. Adam took the wet blanket off his brother and went back into the kitchen, apparently to get paper towels.

The inventor smiled again, much wider and much happier. "The handcuffs were a place-holder, Bree."

"A place-holder for what?"

"A place-holder until the boys realized that they had always been bound by something. That 'something' needed to remind them to get along."

Bree sent her adoptive father a curious look, silently asking him to elaborate.

"They're bound in brotherhood. It's stronger than any pair of handcuffs, and it lasts much longer."

* * *

 **I'm cringing at how cheesy that end was, but... oh well. I was too lazy to fix it xD**

 **So, that officially wraps up this story. It's been a long time coming, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks to everyone for all the support! As one story ends, another begins. That said, I'm in the process of working on another project. It will most likely remain a secret until the day I post it (which won't be anytime soon.) I'm extremely excited about it. In the meantime, I will be sharing more mini-stories with you. Speaking of which, a two-shot of mine will be going up on the archives in a couple days.**

 **Even though this is the end, I'm very happy about what's to come. I hope everyone enjoyed the story, and I will talk to you all again soon! :D**


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